The May Report: 2/20/2011: After Stroger removed her gall bladder and sent her home, Melanie is still not OK and is in Rush Pres. St. Lukes tonight for more surgery Monday; Alex Zoghlin explains the Google mix-up; Mike Rhodes has canceled all but one Sip@TheSync per month; The ordeal of Friday and more…

The May Report February 20th, 2011

Editor and publisher: ron@themayreport.com, ronaldmay@aol.com, www.themayreport.com , 773-525-3944.

Assistant editor: Melanie Adcock, iPHONE: 312-259-0610, melanie_adcock@msn.com

If you missed an article, go here: www.tmronline.com/A55951/tmrarticles.nsf/vwFullNewsletter ______________________________

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

The Scoop section:

– Briefly noted, by Ron May
– Alex Zoghlin: Google mix-up
– Cheap thrills: Chicago long a hotbed for online coupons, discount deals
Pool of tech workers, Midwestern sensibility get credit for market strength, By Gregory Karp, Tribune reporter
– Tarkus Murphy on Melanie admitted to Stroger Cook County Hospital
– Dan Miller: Melanie
– John Kennedy: Was on Bill Moller’s WGN show Saturday
– John Kennedy: Update on what he is doing
– Startup America Gives Cleantech Entrepreneurs a Leg Up – The Clean Energy Trust in Chicago
– ecycler and Small Business Challenge
– TechAmerica Praises Governor Quinn for Creation of Illinois Innovation Council
– Chicago Tribune: Virgin America secures Chicago access
Groupon deal, initial low-price West Coast fares grab attention
– Monday, February 28: Funding Feeding Frenzy Kickoff Event
– Tuesday, February 22: ASP Chicago: “Bosch Power Tools: Global Platform, Local Strategy Frank Carroll, President, Bosch Power Tools North America ”
– Nik Rokop: Someone is scraping TMR email addresses
– Wednesday, February 23: EDC luncheon: Logistics and the Midwest’s Economic Development Opportunity Luncheon
– Smartphone sales surpass PC sales
– KarmaKorn is looking for a Hands-On Tech Wizard to join its founding management team
– LivingSocial Hit with Groupon-Like Class Action Suit

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For those considering doing any kind of business with Affluence.org, AFFU or Momentum Capital,

BEWARE!

Don’t consult for them if you want to be paid

Don’t sell them anything in exchange for stock

Don’t buy any stock

Don’t invest one nickel, wooden or otherwise

The May Report has never before done this

But the evidence has built up and it is not on the one hand, on the other hand type of evidence

For more details, call Ron May at 773-525-3844 and/or email him at ronaldmay@aol.com
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The Scoop section:
_______________________
Briefly noted, by Ron May

* This was written about 8pm Saturday night. Melanie is doing just fine. She had the surgery on Thursday morning in which they removed a very large gall bladder filled with what she calls “gravel.”

She was sent home from Stroger on Friday afternoon after they started her on solid food again. The surgery went well, but she does have to re-cooperate and can start back to work on Wednesday, the doctor told her.

Stroger is a nice hospital, physically, but Melanie was a bit irked by how they tried to rush her out of there. Overall, any hospital can be tough, but truthfully, I don’t know enough about Stroger Hospital to form a solid opinion.

Melanie did have a few interesting encounters when she was in the ER. She was there with some corrections officers nearby who were guarding a guy from the jail. The hospital gets prisoners and they have two corrections officers per prisoner. They told Melanie that they are paid $50K to start and I believe that all they need is a high school diploma.

This was written after Melanie called me at 12:50am Sunday morning the 20th. She’s at home, trying to rest, but she has a fever and has been back to throwing up.

I thought that Stroger had sent her home too early. And that is probably a correct assessment.

We talked about it and we agreed that next time she should go to a different hospital. Melanie mentiioned Rush and I agreed with her that Rush would be a good hospital for her.

I called Rush and the ER traffic is medium, the front desk lady told me late last night and she said that they will just bill Melanie.

I told Melanie not to let the insurance issue keep her away from going to Rush or any other hospital that is likely to be better than Stroger.

The doctors at Stroger may be good, but the overall service and treatment is not given the pressures to keep the patient population moving in and out rapidly.

When they removed my gall bladder a few years ago at Northwestern I was in the hospital for six or seven days.

Melanie had the surgery Thursday morning and was sent home Friday afternoon, a bit rushed we think.

This is being written at 6:04pm Sunday evening. Melanie is back in the hospital since about 9am this morning (Sunday). But this time, she is at Rush Pres. St. Lukes. And that turned out to be a good move!

Melanie is not better yet, and she has an enlarged duct. They did a number of tests and she was in a room about 5pm, room 970 North. She will have another procedure Monday morning and this time, I hope they don’t send her home until she checks out as A-OK.

I just talked briefly to Melanie at 8:05pm Sunday night. 312-259-0610. She is much happier at Rush. Far better than Stroger. And Monday morning, they’ll put an incision into her enlarged bile duct to let the stone(s) out.

Some Lessons Learned.
1. Don’t let the lack of insurance keep you from going to a good hospital. If you are really sick, as Melanie is, they will take you.
2. Stroger Hospital may save your life in an emergency, but they won’t necessarily make you better before they send you home.
3. And of course, the number one thing when you are sick is that you the patient are responsible for letting the professionals know how you feel, asking questions and monitoring your own care.
4. Don’t be afraid to speak up.

* Friday was a day for the record books! I sweated it all week, and a key call came in at 3:58am Friday morning. That call, which lasted over an hour, was the coup de gras or grace as the French say: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coup_de_gr%C3%A2ce

In my opinion, it provided the proverbial smoking gun.

I am too tired and wiped out after a lot of stress and little sleep last Wednesday and Thursday night to get into it now and believe me, you will hear and read plenty about it.

Contrary to what everyone thinks, I second guess myself all the time. I question whether I am doing the right thing and the call that came in at 3:58am Friday morning gave me the vim and verve to go through with it. I had what was right on my side and I had the gumption to do it.

After the six hour ordeal — and ordeal is the right word — I went over to Sip @TheSync with Bill Anthony who picked me up from 330 N. Wabash, the old IBM building.

Mike Rhodes was not there and he told me he would be there, but he had said there would be no Sip@TheSync.

And, the most pleasant person you’ld ever want to meet was there to greet me — Jean Pickering. Of course, if you believe that, I have a nice bridge in Brooklyn to sell you.

One good thing before Jean turned the lights out and kicked us out was that John Kennedy came by. And then he rolled me over to the Gyros place at Halsted and Jackson.

But Mike Rhodes has canceled all but one Sip@TheSync a month. That is terrible. It was starting to become a habit for me.

As soon as I heard again about what John has been doing, I realized that he would have made a great opponent to Kris Hammond at the MIT-EF meeting and he could have effectively argued the human intelligence side. John could make the case for augmenting cognition through non-artificial means.

Tomorrow, I will put my big toe (OK, it has to be my right foot big toe since I don’t have a big toe on my left foot) into the water from Friday with some relatively non-controversial info. on Kathy Liu, the ITDA money, LeAnne T., lobbying issues, the MCTA, etc.

You will get the hard core good stuff soon enough.

The Groupon Virgin America article by Julie Johnsson and Wailin Wong reprinted below is part pf a bigger story about Groupon publicity that I don’t fully understand yet.

As advertising is being replaced by content — and Kris Hammond, you should be interested in that — as advertising does not pay as well as it used to, the content is “being bought” I was told and various agencies are being mentioned in the process. I don’t understand the agency part and if I understood my source on this correctly, Groupon is paying off the writers??!! Under the table??

I can’t imagine that Julie and Wailin would go for such nonsense. Sure there is more to come on this issue. The point was also made to me that the stories lately have tended to not meet the bar for a newsworthy story, but I think this one does meet the standard, especially since Groupon is big local news.
_________________________________
Alex Zoghlin: Google mix-up

Subject: Google mix up
Date: 2/17/2011 11:18:58 A.M. Central Standard Time
From: alex@zoghlin.com
To: ronaldmay@aol.com

Ron,

I think you spooked a few of my investors by printing the rumor I was going to Google. I *am* doing some consulting for them in the travel space, someone must have seen me there. I am quite happy where I am at VHT. We had more than our share of few scary moments, but have really been doing well recently. Last year we launched a new SaaS platform for real estate, with our first beta customer in April. By September, the platform was more profitable than our largest traditional customer. By December, we closed one of the largest franchises in the world on the platform. I’ve been in the business a while and going from beta to multinational corporation in 8 months is a new record for me. We’ve doubled the size of our software development staff this year, and will have over 120,000 real estate agents on the platform by next month and a long pipeline of features and enhancements to keep them very happy. In short: I would be crazy to leave right now!

I haven’t read the May report in a while, and laughed out loud at the thought of you arriving in your underwear at an event. While most people insert a groan before or after saying your name, I’m glad you are still around. I’ve noticed a distinct corporatization of the Chicago technology sector over the last fifteen years (even I cut off my ponytail), making it more difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff, which has always been your specialty.

I don’t know Melanie, but I hope her health is improving. I know something about stones, OUCH!

Alex
__________________________________
Cheap thrills: Chicago long a hotbed for online coupons, discount deals
Pool of tech workers, Midwestern sensibility get credit for market strength, By Gregory Karp, Tribune reporter

www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-0213-couponland–20110213,0,5889029,full.story

Cheap thrills: Chicago long a hotbed for online coupons, discount deals
Pool of tech workers, Midwestern sensibility get credit for market strength

By Gregory Karp, Tribune reporter

February 13, 2011
E-mail Print Share Text Size ct-biz-0213-couponland–20110213
Forget “Chicagoland.” Call it “Couponland.”

Chicago is quickly becoming a U.S. hub for online coupon and deal companies, and the trend started long before wildly successful Groupon was even conceived. Today, the Chicago region is headquarters for dozens of coupon and deal websites.

Sites include some of America’s biggest, such as Groupon.com and CouponCabin.com. They include some of the oldest, such as FatWallet.com, circa 1999, and MrRebates.com, 2002. They include newbies started last month by a single person and another launched last month by one of the largest coupon companies in the world.

“Chicago is the cradle of civilization for the daily-deal industry,” said Dan Hess, chief executive of Local Offer Network and Chicago-based deal aggregator Dealradar.com. “It gained an early lead and continues to lead the pack.”

Among daily-deal group-buying sites, similar to Groupon, Chicago is the No. 1 city, with 43 such headquarters. That beats New York and San Francisco, according Dealradar.com.

Why is Chicago so popular with online coupons sites? Explanations range from a deepening pool of technology workers to a plethora of academic institutions to an entrepreneurial spirit fostered by public and private programs that invest in startups, company officials say.

Illinois, and Chicago in particular, is unique when it comes to technology and innovation, said Ed Longanecker, regional vice president for technology trade and advocacy group TechAmerica. “I have not seen, other than maybe in California, such a concentration of entrepreneurial-focused organizations and more emphasis and passion for growing the technology industry in a state,” he said. “There is simply a stronger desire and more potential to be a center for innovation in Illinois.”

Brad Wilson of BradsDeals.com has a less measurable, but perhaps no less accurate, explanation for the proliferation of coupon sites in Chicago.

“We apply the old-fashioned, salt-of-the-earth Midwestern values to startups and the Internet,” Wilson said. “There is a deep-rooted practicality in Chicago and the Midwest. Our startups solve real problems, like helping people save money or be more frugal.”

Indeed, part of the reason for the proliferation recently is the sour national economy and consumers’ changing attitude toward using coupons.

“People aren’t leaving the house now without a coupon,” said Todd Winer, a principal with Vernon Hills-based AnotherDailyDeal.com, which started in September. “It doesn’t have the stigma anymore. The whole mindset about using coupons has changed.”

Among the newest entrants to Chicago is CouponNetwork.com, which opened offices in a downtown high-rise in recent weeks. It’s no startup on a shoestring budget. It’s backed by one of the largest coupon companies, Catalina Marketing. That’s the 28-year-old company behind the customized coupons printed at some 50,000 supermarket and drugstore checkout registers nationwide. Avid couponers refer to the coupons printed along with register receipts as “Catalinas.”

Catalina has been a behind-the-scenes company, while CouponNetwork.com is its first foray into dealing directly with consumers. It aims to focus on printable coupons in product categories that don’t have many coupons, such as baby, pet, organic and gluten-free items, officials said.

Why locate CouponNetwork.com in Chicago instead of Catalina’s home of St. Petersburg, Fla.?

“It simply comes down to talent,” said Chris Henger, executive vice president of CouponNetwork.com. “A deeper, broader pool for both technology and digital talent exists in Chicago. In addition, Chicago is proving to be a hot spot for couponing – Groupon, CouponCabin and now CouponNetwork.”

FatWallet.com, of Rockton, Ill., near Rockford, is among the pioneers in online deals, starting in 1999. It could operate anywhere in the country, but, as spokesman Brent Shelton said, “this is home.”

“We’re big Chicago sports supporters, and although a little more rural than some other Chicago coupon sites, it’s close enough to attract talent, be part of the third-largest media hub, experience urban culture and get on a plane in an hour,” he said.

With its 52 employees, FatWallet is considered among the more serious coupon sites that fall under the heading of “performance marketing,” meaning they get paid a commission if they persuade a customer to buy something.

How big is performance marketing in Illinois? The state is home to 9,000 performance-marketing businesses earning $610 million, according to the Performance Marketing Association.

Most sites are single-person operations, including hobby bloggers who post ads in hopes of making a few bucks. But Illinois has the most performance-marketing employers, which means they have multiple employees, of any state in the nation, said Rebecca Madigan, executive director of the association. Illinois has nine such employers, while the nation’s most-populous state, California, has just three.

While Chicago is home to long-standing coupon sites, it’s hard to ignore the Groupon effect. Most of the newest businesses are daily-deal sites, inspired by Groupon’s success of selling consumers deal coupons to local businesses, usually service businesses such as spas, restaurants and entertainment venues.

They are admitted copycats – planets now orbiting the Groupon star – although some tweak the Groupon model, offering skimpier discounts than Groupon, for example.

Traditional media in Chicago are participating in the daily-deal mania too, with the help of partners. The Chicago Tribune Media Group, for example, through ChicagoShopping.com, offers a deal of the day via Groupon. Later this month, the group plans to offer an additional daily deal of its own by partnering with Local Offer Network, the company said. Sun-Times Media offers a daily deal via Canadian firm Wantsa.

Former commodities trader Jordan Heller started WeDeal.com in April. Though less than a year old, it is among the older group-buying sites in a young market. The company started in Northbrook and has since moved to Highland Park.

He said Groupon was definitely an influence. In fact, he basically started a Groupon clone for the north suburbs at a time when Groupon was concentrating on deals in the city, he said.

“Certainly Groupon being headquartered here gave Chicagoans a head start with the concept,” he said. But the region is home to a lot of startups and fosters entrepreneurship, he said. “It’s a good spot to start a coupon business.”

Heller said growth in Chicago-based deal sites like his is unlikely to wane anytime soon. “As crowded as this space is, there’s room for growth and success,” he said. “Everyone’s looking for a deal these days.”

Still, a shakeout already has begun, Hess said. Many sites will be acquired, go out of business or simply go dormant, as the same deal stays on a site for weeks.

“However, at this stage, the growth continues to outstrip the shakeout,” he said.

Hess’ Dealradar.com currently monitors 230 daily-deal sites, and 180 are active on any given day, he said. “Without exaggeration, every single day we hear from at least one person who has started or plans to start a deal site.”

The best bet is that Groupon will be among the long-term survivors, said Dan de Grandpre, editor-in-chief and chief executive of DealNews.com.

“Twelve years ago, venture capitalists threw billions into online auctions, and now we have eBay. Venture capitalists threw billions into online department stores, and now we have Amazon,” he said. “In 12 years, I’m positive that Groupon will still be here. I can’t say that about its competitors yet.”

gkarp@tribune.com

Top U.S. daily-deal sites

Top 10 U.S. deal sites, based on number of markets served in average day.

Groupon

LivingSocial

Daily Dealster

Eversave

SocialBuy

KGBdeals

Angie’s List

BuyWithMe

HomeRun

Tippr

SOURCE: Dealradar.com/Local Offer Network

COUPONLAND?

Top 10 U.S. cities based on number of active deal sites – January 2011

Chicago43

New York 37

San Francisco33

Los Angeles31

San Diego31

Atlanta25

Boston24

Washington22

Philadelphia21

Austin, Texas20

Denver20

SOURCE: Dealradar.com/Local Offer Network

Sampling of coupon and deal sites headquartered in the Chicago region.

DAILY-DEAL SITES

ONLINE/OFFLINE COUPONS, DEALS & REBATES

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune research
________________________________________
Tarkus Murphy on Melanie admitted to Stroger Cook County Hospital

Melanie admitted to Stroger Cook County Hospital

Tarkus
to me, RONALDMAY

show details Feb 17 (3 days ago)

from Tarkus
to The May Report ,
RONALDMAY@aol.com
cc Tarkus
date Thu, Feb 17, 2011 at 6:00 AM
subject Melanie admitted to Stroger Cook County Hospital
mailed-by ripco.com

hide details Feb 17 (3 days ago)

Best and get well wishes to Melanie on her swift recovery.

I must spoil this moment by also extending my congratulations to you on setting a new nadir for the definition of “casual day” – in February, no less. Lawrence Grossman award nominee (David Letterman screamed at Bryant Gumbel on a live Today show segment: “I’m Lawrence Grossman! I’m the president of NBC News! This prime-time special was my idea . . . and I’m not wearing pants!”).

When someone first made the sign “no shoes, no shirt, no service” I bet they did not contemplate a February emergence of a pantless Chicago man.

Next time remember to follow the Third Rule from the “House of God” – “When the patient has a heart attack, take your own pulse.”

Take good care of Melanie. What a terrible thought that a few weeks in time made all the difference in her decisions for medical treatment.

Here’s to Duo standing by her as she recovers (there is not much that they can do with respect to the coverage issue).
_______________________________
Dan Miller: Melanie

Melanie

Dan Miller
to me

show details Feb 17 (3 days ago)

from Dan Miller
to ron@themayreport.com
date Thu, Feb 17, 2011 at 10:05 AM
subject Melanie

hide details Feb 17 (3 days ago)

Ron:

I don’t want to bother the very capable Melanie at this tough time (not that I could bother her with Stroger Hospital as cut off from Internet as Bahrain), but I am certain you will be in touch with her later Thursday. Please give her a virtual sock on the arm for me, and I’m pulling for her.

Dan
______________________________
John Kennedy: Was on Bill Moller’s WGN show Saturday

John on WGN tomorrow

John Kennedy

show details Feb 18 (1 day ago)

from John Kennedy
to John Kennedy
date Fri, Feb 18, 2011 at 9:13 PM
subject John on WGN tomorrow

hide details Feb 18 (1 day ago)

Hi Everyone,

I will be a last minute guest tomorrow on Bill Moller’s Saturday show on WGN Radio 720 AM at about 10:10 AM CST if you are interested. Should be fun!

Link is www.wgnradio.com/shows/billmoller/ and you can stream it live if you can’t get to your radio.

John

John Kennedy

President, Kennedy Consulting Group, Inc.
Mental Performance Training*
2010 Chicago Innovation Awards Finalist
53 West Jackson, #831
Chicago, Illinois 60604
Cell – 847-791-1825 eFax – 847-556-0146
jk@kennedyconsultinggroup.com
www.combatbraintraining.com

“Break it Down ~ Think it Thru ~ EXECUTE! ©”

*Mental Performance Training© (MPT) is a neuroplastic re-engineering program designed to rapidly change the brain in areas critical to information processing. Foundational mental processes become more efficient, relieving conscious mental overload resulting in better focus, improved mental and physical reaction times and better, faster decision making. Conducted in a team environment, communication, teamwork and group decision making are also significantly improved.
_______________________________
John Kennedy: Update on what he is doing

Update

John Kennedy
to me

show details Feb 18 (1 day ago)

from John Kennedy
to ron@themayreport.com
date Fri, Feb 18, 2011 at 8:30 PM
subject Update

hide details Feb 18 (1 day ago)

Hey Ron,

Great seeing you tonight, you’re looking well, though if you keep eating like you did you’ll put the weight back on!

I wish I could have been at the MIT-EF artificial vs human intelligence debate, but had too many other things going on. We can get together and talk about it, but you asked me to send you a summary of my brain training, so here goes – the program physically changes the brain to operate more efficiently in just hours using the principles of neuroplasticity. Initially developed for the military and successful with Snipers, Marines, SpecOps and pilots, I brought it back to Chicago last year due to cuts in military funding. Since then executives, professional athletes even kids with ADD, have all experienced performance increases in just hours.

While I occasionally hold public sessions, I am doing a full day session this Saturday in conjunction with the Big Ooga at a reduced rate if your readers are interested. Info at – tinyurl.com/49yz4xk .

Also lots of info and continuously updated testimonials at my website – www.combatbraintraining.com.

Talk to you soon Ron,

John

John Kennedy
President, Kennedy Consulting Group, Inc.
Mental Performance Training*
2010 Chicago Innovation Awards Finalist
53 West Jackson, #831
Chicago, Illinois 60604
Cell – 847-791-1825 eFax – 847-556-0146
jk@kennedyconsultinggroup.com
www.combatbraintraining.com

“Break it Down ~ Think it Thru ~ EXECUTE! ©”

Startup America Gives Cleantech Entrepreneurs a Leg Up – The Clean Energy Trust in Chicago

Bruce Montgomery
to me, Melanie

show details 9:21 AM (10 hours ago)

from Bruce Montgomery
to Ron May
cc Melanie Adcock
date Sun, Feb 20, 2011 at 9:21 AM
subject Startup America Gives Cleantech Entrepreneurs a Leg Up – The Clean Energy Trust in Chicago
mailed-by yahoo.com
signed-by yahoo.com

hide details 9:21 AM (10 hours ago)

Images are not displayed.
Display images below – Always display images from tatvshow@yahoo.com

Bruce Eric Montgomery
Executive Producer & Host
Technology Access Television
200 S. Wacker Drive, 15th Floor
Chicago, IL 60606-5865
(312) 725-8601
tatvshow@yahoo.com
www.twitter.com/techaccesstv
www.facebook.com/brucemontgomery

Startup America Gives Cleantech Entrepreneurs a Leg Up
By Mary Catherine O’Connor | February 17th, 2011 0 Comments

U.S. Small Business Administrator Karen Mills on Wednesday revealed details of a pilot program through which it is working with four cleantech business accelerators across the country to provide mentoring to 100 entrepreneurs in the cleantech arena. The pilot is the inaugural program of the Entrepreneurial Mentor Corps (EMC), a component of Startup America, a White House initiative that was announced two weeks ago to promote innovation, entrepreneurship and job creation.

Remember President Obama’s rally call for the U.S. to “out-innovate, out-educate and out-build” as a strategy to pull ourselves up from the bootstraps and get the recovery underway? This is an early step toward that goal, noted Mills during a conference call to announce the pilot program.

This initial component of the EMC pilot will provide mentoring for 100 small, clean energy companies. These firms were culled from a group of 400 companies that the Department of Energy has already supported through its loan program (a program which Obama’s recently-announced DOE budget would bolster further). And the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) program is also helping to fund the pilot project. (At press time, the Small Business Administration had not responded to my request for the amount of funding going into the program.)

CleanTECH San Diego, the Clean Energy Trust in Chicago, the CleanTech Open in the SF Bay Area and the Nevada Institute for Renewable Energy Commercialization are the four business accelerators that will take these 100 cleantech startups under their wings. Each entrepreneur will be paired with two mentors that the business accelerators identify. The mentors will give advice on everything from finding funding sources to hiring new staff to how to commercialize new technologies and grow successful businesses.

“We are trying to give these companies all the tools they need,” said Mills. “They need a different kind of mentoring, it needs to be very high-value, to help them find their way to high growth. We want to find the right models and best practices and then make sure the startups engage all the right partners to ensure that the federal dollars get the most bang for the buck.”

The names of companies chosen for the pilot were not announced. But if this pilot proves successful, the SBA plans to expand it to eventually provide mentoring services to 1000 companies in a range of sectors.
__________________________________
ecycler and Small Business Challenge

ecycler and Small Business Challenge

Timothy Laurent
to me

show details Feb 18 (1 day ago)

from Timothy Laurent
reply-to tim@ecycler.com
to ron@themayreport.com
date Fri, Feb 18, 2011 at 3:20 PM
subject ecycler and Small Business Challenge
mailed-by ecycler.com

hide details Feb 18 (1 day ago)

Hello Ron,

Just thought you may be interested in learning that we (ecycler), a Chicago company, won the grand prize in the Marriott sponsored Small Business Challenge. As part of the announcement, Marriott put together a video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySnHR9jl4VA

Official Announcement: www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fairfield-inn–suites-awards-ecycler-20000-grand-prize-in-small-business-contest-115634379.html

We are very excited about the win and we wanted to share it with you.

Best Regards,

Tim

Timothy Laurent
ecycler | Collect. Connect. Recycle.

Twitter: @ecycler
Facebook: ecycler

YouTube – Videos from this email
_______________________________________
TechAmerica Praises Governor Quinn for Creation of Illinois Innovation Council

Subject: RE: Ed, puhleeese. Notices praising Gov. for yet another council??!! Over the top?
Date: 2/17/2011 2:50:41 P.M. Central Standard Time
From: ed.longanecker@techamerica.org
To: RONALDMAY@aol.com

Hi Ron,

I view this positively. Having the Governor and business leaders drive such an effort is important.

Best regards,

Ed Longanecker
Executive Director, Regional Vice President
TechAmerica
630-282-4332
ed.longanecker@techamerica.org
www.techamerica.org
_________________________________
Subject: TechAmerica Praises Governor Quinn for Creation of Illinois Innovation Council
Date: 2/17/2011 9:42:13 A.M. Central Standard Time
From: ed.longanecker@techamerica.org
To: ronaldmay@aol.com, melanie_adcock@msn.com

CHICAGO, Feb. 17, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — TechAmerica today praised Illinois Governor Pat Quinn for creating the Illinois Innovation Council, which was established to foster and accelerate innovation and economic growth to create jobs in the state. Members of the Illinois Innovation Council include leading executives representing critical industry sectors in Illinois. Investor and entrepreneur Brad Keywell, Co-founder of Groupon and several other ventures, will serve as Chair for the Council, and T. Kendall Hunt, Chairman, CEO, VASCO Data Security International, Inc., and Chairman of TechAmerica Midwest, was also selected by the Governor to serve and represent the growing software sector in Illinois.

“TechAmerica has long been committed to driving targeted workforce, economic development, and proactive legislative initiatives to elevate Illinois’ position as a leading technology employer and center of innovation,” said T. Kendall Hunt, Chairman, CEO, VASCO Data Security International, Inc. and Chairman of TechAmerica Midwest. “I commend Governor Quinn for his leadership, and am honored to serve on the Illinois Innovation Council to help strengthen our economy and the technology industry in Illinois.”

In 2005, TechAmerica and its members created its “Focus Illinois: A Platform for Innovation” agenda, a comprehensive guide and strategy for growing and supporting the Illinois technology industry. A key recommendation in the agenda has long-called for the creation of an Illinois Innovation Cabinet, or Council to provide support and direction for innovation-based policies and initiatives. Today Illinois has taken a major step forward in developing a structured plan and focused effort to attract and retain leading technology talent and companies.

“We thank Governor Quinn for his commitment to innovation and for working proactively with industry to advance the business of technology in our state,” said TechAmerica Midwest Executive Director Ed Longanecker, who is also a founding member of the Illinois Technology Alliance (ILTA). “Illinois’ technology industry is a crucial component to our economic well-being and ability to create and maintain high quality jobs in our state.”

TechAmerica’s partner, the Illinois Science & Technology Coalition, will serve as the administrative home to the Illinois Innovation Council to provide support.

Industries represented on the Illinois Innovation Council include biotechnology, life sciences and healthcare, food and agriculture, software, investment banking, education technology, digital commerce, research and development, and academia.

About TechAmerica

TechAmerica is the leading voice for the U.S. technology industry – the driving force behind productivity growth and jobs creation in the United States and the foundation of the global innovation economy. Representing approximately 1,200 member companies of all sizes from the public and commercial sectors of the economy, it is the industry’s largest advocacy organization and is dedicated to helping members’ top and bottom lines. TechAmerica is also the technology industry’s only grassroots-to-global advocacy network, with offices in state capitals around the United States, Washington, D.C., Europe (Brussels) and Asia (Beijing).It was formed by the merger of AeA (formerly the American Electronics Association), the Cyber Security Industry Alliance (CSIA), the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA) and the Government Electronics & Information Technology Association (GEIA).Learn more about TechAmerica at www.techamerica.org.

Contact: Anne Caliguiri Savoie at 703.284.5305 or anne.savoie@techamerica.org
Ed Longanecker at 630.282.4332 or ed.longanecker@techamerica.org

Best regards,

Ed Longanecker
Executive Director, Regional Vice President
TechAmerica
630-282-4332
ed.longanecker@techamerica.org
www.techamerica.org

AeA & ITAA have merged to form TechAmerica

Where the future begins

AeA & ITAA have merged to form TechAmerica

Where the future begins

From: RONALDMAY@aol.com [mailto:RONALDMAY@aol.com]
Sent: Thursday, February 17, 2011 2:43 PM
To: Ed Longanecker
Cc: ronaldmay@aol.com
Subject: Ed, puhleeese. Notices praising Gov. for yet another council??!! Over the top?
______________________________________
Chicago Tribune: Virgin America secures Chicago access
Groupon deal, initial low-price West Coast fares grab attention

articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-02-18/business/ct-biz-0218-virgin-ohare-20110218_1_groupon-promotion-abby-lunardini-groupon-deal

Virgin America secures Chicago access
Groupon deal, initial low-price West Coast fares grab attention
February 18, 2011|By Julie Johnsson and Wailin Wong, Tribune Reporters
Virgin America entered the Chicago market Thursday with flair, unveiling a Groupon deal that touted “reliable, stylish service” and slashed prices on its new West Coast flights to $128 round trip.

The deeply discounted deal was the first airfare to be featured on Chicago-based Groupon Inc. and sold out in Chicago in just 8 minutes, said Virgin America spokeswoman Abby Lunardini. Within 45 minutes, Virgin’s Groupon offer also had sold out in San Francisco and Los Angeles, for a total of 2,100 tickets.

Virgin America CEO David Cush promised that the carrier would continue to shake up competition with deep discounts, like its introductory $99 one-way fare on service that begins May 25 from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport to Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Local Deals in New YorkSignpost.com is where people gain karma for sharing local deals www.signpost.comRound Trip Airfare DealsDiscounts on Round Trip Flights. Book Your Fee-Free Travel Now! www.Travelocity.comAdvertisement

“When we enter markets, fares drop. That’s a fact,” Cush said at a press conference at Chicago City Hall.

Although it is struggling to gain profitability, Virgin America is making a splash with its new aircraft, Wi-Fi, mood lighting and a knack for marketing that’s a hallmark of carriers associated with Richard Branson. The billionaire will be on hand to launch the first Chicago flight, Cush told the Tribune.

Still, Virgin America faces its toughest challenge in Chicago, where the San Francisco-based carrier’s five daily flights will be dwarfed by United and American airlines at O’Hare and Southwest Airlines at Midway Airport.

“We know that United and American are dominant in Chicago. This is clearly the strongest competitive environment that we’ve entered so far,” Cush said.

The 3 1/2-year-old carrier’s Groupon promotion lit up the Internet Thursday and was one of the fastest deals to sell out in Groupon history. The Chicago daily-deal company got its start partnering with local businesses but lately has been branching into deals with national brands.

Virgin’s customer demographics align nicely with those of Groupon subscribers, making the promotion a viral hit among the young, tech-savvy crowd the companies target. According to a recent report by NextUp Research and SharesPost, an online marketplace for stock of private companies, 68 percent of Groupon’s subscribers are between 18 and 34.

“Virgin has been very successful in appealing to the under-40 traveler, the next generation of airline passenger,” said Henry Harteveldt, airline analyst with Forrester Research Inc.

Ads by Google
______________________________________
Monday, February 28: Funding Feeding Frenzy Kickoff Event

Funding Feeding Frenzy

Robert Bock
to me, David, Andy

show details Feb 17 (3 days ago)

from Robert Bock
to The May Report
cc David Culver ,
Andy Nadler
date Thu, Feb 17, 2011 at 9:17 AM
subject Funding Feeding Frenzy Text Version
mailed-by gmail.com
signed-by gmail.com

hide details Feb 17 (3 days ago)

Hello Ron,

Dave asked me to forward this over to you.

Thanks

Bob

708-646-9047

Funding Feeding Frenzy Kickoff Event

Join us at 5:30 pm

Monday, Feb. 28

Sync Technology Center

322 South Green St.

Suite 300

Chicago, IL 60607

For more information about the Kick-Off event, visit:

www.FundingFeedingFrenzy.com

What is the Funding Feeding Frenzy Kick-off Event?

For Entrepreneurs raising capital, having a great presentation for potential investors will multiply your chances of success. Wouldn’t it be amazing to have the inside track to knowing exactly what those potential investors care about hearing, and how they want to hear it.

The Funding Feeding Frenzy Kick-off Event was designed for entrepreneurs to sharpen their presentations and get immediate feedback and critique on how their business is presented.

Multiple entrepreneurs will present their company to the crowd and will learn first-hand exactly how their presentation can be improved. There’s no judgment, only encouragement from fellow entrepreneurs and people who understand what investors care about.

If you are an entrepreneur and would like an opportunity to present your company and receive invaluable critique and feedback, please contact:

Bob Bock bob@fundingfeedingfrenzy.com (708) 646-9047

To register, visit:

fff-kickoff.eventbrite.com/

Robert A. Bock

Funding Feeding Frenzy
130 N La Grange Road, Suite 212
La Grange, Illinois 60525
Office: 708-588-9611
Cell: 708-646-9047
Fax: 708-387-8201
bob@rjbinvestments.net
www.rjbinvestments.net

www.linkedin.com/in/rjbinvestments

___________________________________
Tuesday, February 22: ASP Chicago: “Bosch Power Tools: Global Platform, Local Strategy Frank Carroll, President, Bosch Power Tools North America ”

Bosch Power Tools: Global Platform, Local Strategy Frank Carroll, President, Bosch Power Tools North America — Last Call to RSVP

ASP – Chicago
to me

show details Feb 17 (3 days ago)

from ASP – Chicago
to ron@themayreport.com
date Thu, Feb 17, 2011 at 8:17 AM
subject Bosch Power Tools: Global Platform, Local Strategy Frank Carroll, President, Bosch Power Tools North America — Last Call to RSVP
mailed-by e2ma.net

hide details Feb 17 (3 days ago)

Images are not displayed.
Display images below – Always display images from aspchicago@strategyplus.org
If you’re having trouble viewing this email, you may see it online.
Share This:

ASP – Chicago
Presents

“Bosch Power Tools: Global Platform, Local Strategy Frank Carroll, President, Bosch Power Tools North America ”
with Frank Carroll

Dear Colleague,

On behalf of ASP – Chicago, we extend a special invitation to join us for what we know will be an interesting presentation and conversation with Frank Carroll of Bosch Power Tools North America.

Thank you. We look forward to meeting you on Tuesday, February 22nd 2011.

Rick Kaufmann, President

ASP Chicago is delighted to host a presentation by Frank Carroll, President of Bosch Power Tools North America.

Bosch Power Tools is one of three remaining global power tool manufacturers. In addition to the Bosch Power Tool brand, Robert Bosch Power Tools also manufactures and markets Skil Power Tools, Dremel Rotary Tools, RotoZip Tools, and a wide range of accessories.

Frank will talk about how Bosch Power Tools North America capitalizes on the substantial advantages the corporation’s global platform provides relative to sourcing, manufacturing, innovation and deep financial resources. He will highlight pointed examples of how Bosch has crafted winning local and regional strategies that leverage that global strength. He will also highlight cases in which local innovation and local strategy helped to transform and inspire the global corporation’s strategy.
Registration

Advanced Registration Registration Onsite
Member $55.00 $65.00
Non-member $75.00 $85.00
Student $25.00 $35.00
Agenda
05:15 PM to 06:00 PM Registration and Networking
06:00 PM to 06:45 PM Program
06:45 PM to 07:00 PM Q&A/Adjournment

• Advanced registration ends at midnight Monday, February 21.

• For more information contact: Christine Glatz – 815-806-4908

“Bosch Power Tools: Global Platform, Local Strategy Frank Carroll, President, Bosch Power Tools North America ”

Tuesday, February 22nd 2011
5:15 pm to 7:00 pm

The Metropolitan Club
233 S. Wacker
Chicago, IL 60606
312.993.2500

Sincerely,

Event Services
Association for Strategic Planning – Chicago

Think Plan Act
Email: cglatz@managementservices.org
Phone: 815-806-4908
Web: www.strategyplus.org/
ASP is committed to respecting the privacy and confidentially of our members and guests. Therefore our mailing lists are the sole property of ASP and are not sold to outside organizations. Additionally, during ASP meetings, members and guests are encouraged to network, participate and interact with each other without overt selling
________________________________
Nik Rokop: Someone is scraping TMR email addresses

Fwd: you seem to have an interesting business

Nik Rokop
to me

show details Feb 18 (2 days ago)

from Nik Rokop
to The May Report
date Fri, Feb 18, 2011 at 6:02 AM
subject Fwd: you seem to have an interesting business
mailed-by stuart.iit.edu

hide details Feb 18 (2 days ago)

Ron,

Please see the email below. It appears someone is scraping The May Report for email addresses!

Not good.

Hope you’re well. Check out the link below for the latest in entrepreneurship at IIT!!

Nik

Learn what’s new & exciting in IIT entrepreneurship:

http://www.iit.edu/magazine/winter_2011/cover.shtml

–
Nik Rokop
Managing Director
IIT Stuart Entrepreneurship Academy
IIT Knapp Entrepreneurship Center
Illinois Institute of Technology
3424 S. State Street
Chicago, IL 60616
Phone: 312-567-3030
Cell: 312-404-4454

http://www.stuart.iit.edu/entrepreneurship_academy/

www.knappcenter.iit.edu
nrokop@stuart.iit.edu

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Luke Langer
> Date: February 18, 2011 12:30:04 AM CST
> To: nrokop@stuart.iit.edu
> Subject: you seem to have an interesting business
> Reply-To: Luke Langer
>
> Hello,
>
> Your business caught my attention while I was searching online. I found your contact details on http://www.themayreport.com
> The way you present yourself seems very interesting and fresh. Were there any challenges you might have not expected when you first started? Is the business treating you well now?
>
> Please let me know. This is not an attempt to recruit you.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Luke Langer
___________________________________
Wednesday, February 23: EDC luncheon: Logistics and the Midwest’s Economic Development Opportunity Luncheon

Logistics and the Midwest’s Economic Development Opportunity Luncheon

EDC Chicago

show details Feb 18 (2 days ago)

from EDC Chicago
to EDC Chicago
date Fri, Feb 18, 2011 at 7:08 AM
subject Logistics and the Midwest’s Economic Development Opportunity Luncheon
signed-by ameritech.net

hide details Feb 18 (2 days ago)

Logistics and the Midwest’s Economic
Development Opportunity

Jim McConoughey, President/CEO
The Heartland Partnership of Peoria

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

The Tower Club
20 North Wacker Drive, 39th Floor

Chicago, Illinois

The Economic Development Council would like to invite you to a special luncheon program featuring Jim McConoughley, President/CEO, The Heartland Partnership of Peoria

Jim McConoughey is the President/CEO of The Heartland Partnership family of companies. The Heartland Partnership operates the Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce, Economic Development Council for Central Illinois, Heart of Illinois Regional Port District, Heartland Foundation and Heartland Capital Network. This family of companies is tasked with helping the Peoria Metro Region grow through increased economic development, enhanced business climate, regional image progress and improved community vibrancy.

Jim will be presenting “Logistics and the Midwest’s Economic Development Opportunity.” One of his companies, the Heart of Illinois Regional Port District (TransPORT) is focused on transportation and logistics related economic development. TransPORt has authority over 100 miles of river covering six counties spanning from Henry to north and Havana to south. TransPORT helps provide financing for worthy projects to develop our regional waterway and bring transportation related businesses to our region.

He will share insight into what makes this region ideal for transportation and logistics expansion and what is happening now in anticipation of turning the Midwest into a logistics hub. Predictions are that highway cargo traffic will increase 20% in the next 10-15 years and our roads won’t be able to absorb that increase, Jim will share details on what the region needs to do (and what the region is doing) in hopes of staying ahead of this potential problem.

Jim is also an active fund manager for venture and early stage capital investments and he also manages an Economic Development and Business think tank called the Center for Economic Development Excellence. His private business background includes developing owning and syndicating hotels, commercial real estate, and residential development. Jim has coached over 400 businesses personally and his well developed team has counseled hundreds more.

The luncheon is at noon at the Tower Club, 39th floor, 20 North Wacker Drive, Chicago. The cost of the lunch and program is $40 for EDC members and $65 for non-members. There is no charge for EDC Corporate and Sustaining Members.

Reservations are mandatory. Reply to this email to make your reservation,
call our office at (773) 279-8787 or prepay online via our website www.edcchicago.org.

Upcoming EDC Event:
——–
March 30, 2011 – Monthly Luncheon
Kok-Chi Tsim, Director in Charge of Chicago Operations, Foreign Multinational Group, JPMorgan Chase Bank, Speaker

Support the EDC

We believe that quality programs are the key to building our membership base. Our members support our efforts and enable us to develop programs that explore issues, questions and problems that affect business, community and economic development. Consider joining the EDC, as a member you will support our efforts to offer a broad range of programs relevant to the Chicagoland area.

We offer three levels of membership:

· Individual (which offers discounted monthly luncheons);

· Sustaining (which includes prepaid luncheons for a year and discounted registration for our breakfast programs); and

· Corporate (you and a guest are pre-paid for monthly lunches and discounted registration for breakfast programs).

The Individual membership is $75 annually, Sustaining is $425 and the Corporate is $750. Becoming a member is a click away. Join now!

Economic Development Council
4064 N. Lincoln Avenue, Suite 251
Chicago, Illinois 60618
773-279-8787
www.edcchicago.org
_____________________________________
Smartphone sales surpass PC sales

Smartphone sales surpass PC sales

Josh Ginsburg
to me

show details Feb 17 (2 days ago)

from Josh Ginsburg
to ron@themayreport.com
date Thu, Feb 17, 2011 at 3:17 PM
subject Smartphone sales surpass PC sales
mailed-by gcomworks.com

hide details Feb 17 (2 days ago)

Hi Ronald,

Google Chairman and CEO Eric Schmidt announced this week during his keynote speech at the Mobile World Congress trade show in Barcelona, Spain that “Smartphones are taking over–smartphone sales surpassed PC sales on a quarterly basis just last week. The smartphone is the destination for the next generation of games, apps and social connectivity.”

Looking beyond the current mobile marketplace, Schmidt outlined what he called “a serendipity platform–your phone helping you learn new things and meet new people you wouldn’t otherwise meet. Why does my phone not talk to my friend’s phone? Why doesn’t it monitor people who are ill?” Several other mobile technology developments he highlighted include: Permission-based

personalization solutions, anticipating a future where technology solves human failings spanning from fuzzy memories to boredom; Mobile payment services and Near Field Communications transaction technologies a “mega-scale opportunity,” Schmidt outlined a scenario where he’s walking down the street in a commercial area. “My phone remembers I need new pants, and it knows ahead of me are two stores–one offering the product at a 20 percent discount, the other offering a 30 percent discount. I enter the store with the bigger discount, the pants are ready, and out I go. You don’t think this is going to work? It should revolutionize electronic commerce and payments. We’re seeing that models around consumerism are working when they’re tied to location and advertising.”

In conclusion, the Google CEO stated that mobile technology will allow consumers the time and flexibility to spend more time with the people they care about, doing the things they enjoy and making the world a better place.

Now the question is: What specific developments can we expect in 2011?

Patrick Bertagna, CEO & Founder of GTX Corp. (GTXO) and developer of #2 highest grossing App on iTunes social networking for GPS Tracking (and GPS Shoe technology) — is available to discuss specifically what mobile app developments to expect in 2011. Patrick has been at the forefront of mobile applications development for over 9 years and is also available to answer any questions you may have on the subject.

Please let me know if you would like to speak with Patrick.

Sincerely,

Josh
josh@gcomworks.com
o) 646 964 4446
c) 713 202 7939
______________________________
KarmaKorn is looking for a Hands-On Tech Wizard to join its founding management team

KarmaKorn is looking for a Hands-On Tech Wizard to join its founding management team

Bill Scheurer
to me

show details Feb 17 (2 days ago)

from Bill Scheurer
to Ron May
date Thu, Feb 17, 2011 at 3:02 PM
subject KarmaKorn is looking for a Hands-On Tech Wizard to join its founding management team
mailed-by comcast.net

hide details Feb 17 (2 days ago)

kk-logo-490

Do-Good Startup Seeks Tech Wizard “Who Will Serve”

KarmaKorn is looking for a Hands-On Tech Wizard to join our founding management team.

Are you a “great and powerful” tech wizard who:

A) Wants to change the world;

B) Be part of a smashing startup business success?

If your answer to this question is YES, you just might be the wizard whom we seek.

We need an OO wizard who can architect and build. If you can dream it, design it, and build it — we have the opportunity for you! We use the LAMP stack, JavaScript, Ajax, JSON, CSS & leading social media APIs. Master chops in Linux security, NoSQL DB, mobile apps & social games would be added pluses.

This is not a job or contract opening. It is an opportunity for a tech entrepreneur to change the world and help build the next big thing. You need to be able to work 2 – 4 months before we get to VC funding while we all work together to turn this dream into a paying gig for everyone. We have a live concept app and a solid business model, and are proven entrepreneurs who have worked together before.

KarmaKorn is a technology platform for social apps & games that help make the world a better place.

Visit our website to see if KarmaKorn calls to you: www.KarmaKorn.com

Or better yet, dive into the Facebook app itself: apps.facebook.com/karmakorn/

Then, let us hear from you: TechWizard@KarmaKorn.com
_______________________________
LivingSocial Hit with Groupon-Like Class Action Suit

www.dailydealmedia.com/livingsocial-hit-with-groupon-like-class-action-suit140/

LivingSocial Hit with Class Action Lawsuit

Daily Deal Media
to me

show details Feb 17 (2 days ago)

from Daily Deal Media
reply-to info@dailydealmedia.com
to ron@themayreport.com
date Thu, Feb 17, 2011 at 1:59 PM
subject LivingSocial Hit with Class Action Lawsuit
mailed-by bounce.bronto.com

hide details Feb 17 (2 days ago)

Images are not displayed.
Display images below – Always display images from info@dailydealmedia.com

Please enable images for a better experience.

Breaking Daily Deal News – Daily Deal Media

Daily Deal Media

Daily Deal News for February 17th, 2011
LivingSocial Hit with Class Action Lawsuit
Priceline Wanted to Buy Dealon
Groupon Looking to Hire HULU CEO

LivingSocial Hit with Groupon-Like Class Action Suit

Share20
February 17, 2011
By Kris Ashton, Daily Deal Media

judges-gavel

For the past several months LivingSocial has been announcing to the world that it was going to overtake Groupon for the number one spot in the daily deals industry and what was once called a distance second must now be referred to as gaining. The Washington, D.C.- based daily deals purveyor, currently sitting in the number two spot, has made some impressive moves, with their $175 million funding from Amazon, an Amazon gift card deal that beat out Groupon’s record Gap deal and a Super Bowl ad that at least didn’t reach the level of suck that Groupon’s controversial ads did.

Of course with success comes the same problems and litany of complaints that the bigger players face and in this case, just like Groupon, LivingSocial has been hit with a law suit claiming that they are violating consumer protection laws by including expiration dates on their “certificates” aka vouchers and that the site is cheating customers out of leftover funds.

The problem comes with the wording and interpretation of the law. Neither Groupon nor LivingSocial call their vouchers gift certificates, and despite the fact that reporters, journalists and even plaintiffs’ attorneys repeatedly call them gift certificates, doesn’t make it so in terms of the law (yet). Even in the case of LivingSocial’s Amazon gift certificate, it could be argued that the site was selling vouchers toward Amazon gift certificates and not the actual gift certificate which would then be the responsibility of Amazon.

What does seen to be confusing for many is that, at least in Groupon’s case, they state that gift certificate laws apply, but to their vouchers, not gift certificates. This is obviously an attempt on their part to make sure they are covered legally, but in reality it only serves to confuse.

According to Ad Law Access a Washington, D.C.-based advertising law information site:

Approximately half the states have laws that either restrict or prohibit expiration dates. In addition, a recent federal law requires gift certificates to be valid for at least 5 years. The plaintiffs in these cases are arguing that the Groupon and LivingSocial deals constitute gift certificates and that the expiration on the deals violate federal and state laws. In addition, the plaintiffs in the LivingSocial lawsuit are arguing that the no cash back provision on the company’s deals violates a Washington law that requires issuers to give cash back, under certain circumstances.

These lawsuits demonstrate that plaintiff’s lawyers are attempting to stretch gift certificate laws to cover various types of offers that don’t fit the traditional mold of gift certificates.

The gift certificate laws as they apply to Groupon, LivingSocial or any other daily deals or group buying site is unclear and will require a court of law to determine exactly where the term “voucher” fits in. In the meantime it does seem like these sites that claim that customer satisfaction is their number one priority, would try to clarify some of these issues in something other than the confusing legalese they are currently using.
_________________________________
END OF REPORT

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