 | | January 12, 2010
The May Report: 1/12/2010: Advanced Equities faces its greatest challenge to date; Groupon has one year anniversary party at Carnivale which draws 400; In praise of oxygen or what a difference a day makes!
Editor and publisher: ron@themayreport.com, ronaldmay@aol.com, www.themayreport.com, 773-525-3944.
If you missed an article, go here: http://www.tmronline.com/A55951/tmrarticles.nsf/vwFullNewsletter
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Scoop section:
-- Advanced Equities, Inc., having lost many brokers who sold a substantial percentage of the funds raised in the last five years, faces financial uncertainty, by Ron May
-- Tarkus: Slowpoke Stimulus? The InformationSuperglcier(TM) notices something even slower
-- Tarkus: Winter thaw on the Information Superglacier(TM)
-- A note that warms Ron's heart
-- More pearls of wisdom from Bob Geras
-- A Note From Gary Teuber of Abacus Business Leaders
-- Tom Flangan, former Partner in charge of the Deloitte office in Chicago, tied to plenty of scandals?
-- Tuesday, January 19: MIT-EF: Economic Outlook 2010
-- Tuesday, January 19: ASP - Chicago
Presents "Annual Economic Forecast with David Hale and Andy Busch
-- Briefly noted, by Ron May
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The Scoop section:
_________________________________
Advanced Equities, Inc., having lost many brokers who sold a substantial percentage of the funds raised in the last five years, faces financial uncertainty, by Ron May
* I got a call from an anonymous caller at about 1pm Monday afternoon, and for this call at least we had a conversation. The caller said that he is "pi**ed."
The reason is that he feels that Advanced Equities, Inc. has had some of the best sales people and brokers in the business and nine of them have left in the last sixty days or so, plus many more over the last nine months.
Independently I have confirmed that some of the brokers left of their own accord and some did not.
The caller told me that the brokers who have left constitute about 90% of the funds that have been raised by the firm in the last five years!
The caller also said he thinks I am wrong about the VCs having some kind of sweetheart deal with Advanced Equities. The deals were often good deals, he said, and Advanced Equities was just paying too much for them, he said.
The caller told me that the entire New York office walked out, the London office and the San Francisco office and the Chicago office is just a shell of its former self.
The reason the brokers are leaving and that includes high producers like J. G. is that none of them saw one share of stock or one warrant on their deals which is what they were promised.
All of the brokers are litigating and all of them are represented by major law firms, the caller told me.
He added that he does not know how long Advanced Equities, Inc. can last but he said we will know more in about thirty days. I gather that the courts may have something to say about it.
He also said that Crain's and Forbes are back in on the story.
Why the warrants and stocks were not paid, I do not know, except that this is SOP at AEI, but the caller did say that they may have pledged those warrants away to garner some kind of line of credit.
It is also my understanding that a VC firm may have lent AEI some funds in the recent past.
My information is that no one is happy these days and everyone is waiting to see what happens. I have also found out that many of the previous cases brought by brokers against AEI have been settled and are now history. The departure of general counsel Erhard Chorle can't be construed as good news by principals Dwight and Keith.
I also got this note last Friday.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
From: E-mail address withheld although not requested
Subject: (no subject)
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 2010 20:14:12 EST
To: ron@themayreport.com
if you only knew what was going on at advanced equities these days...
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Tarkus: Slowpoke Stimulus? The InformationSuperglcier(TM) notices something even slower
From: Tarkus tarkus@ripco.com
Subject: Slowpoke Stimulus? The InformationSuperglcier(TM) notices something even slower.
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 2009 18:33:53 -0500
To: 'The May Report' ron@themayreport.com, tarkus@ripco.net, RONALDMAY@aol.com
Ron, unless my math is off, the FIRST announcement (below) for $183 M, to be followed by other announcements over the next 75 days for another $2 b. The second round was delayed and will be rolled into the third round (is that where the other $5 B is released?). In Round 1, there were $28 B in requests and $10 B in matching capital (leverage, which is cash over match - was probably not counted). It's quite possible total project costs for round one represented $50M.
Seems to me that there are more good ideas seeking stimulus than all of the available stimulus. I'm sure there are a few bad ideas in the mix, but I choose to look at the more optimistic side of the story.
I owe you a few InformationSuperglcier(TM) stories in the New Year. I'm hoping that each will begin their Illinois chapters by early to mid 2010.
Tarkus
DAWSONVILLE, Ga. - Vice President Biden today kicked off $7.2 billion in Recovery Act broadband grant and loan programs, of which $2 billion will be made available on a rolling basis over the next 75 days to bring high-speed Internet to communities that currently have little or no access to the technology. At an event at Impulse Manufacturing in Dawsonville, Georgia, with Governor Sonny Perdue (R-GA), he announced an initial $183 million investment in eighteen broadband projects benefiting seventeen states which has already been matched by over $46 million in public and private sector capital. The awards are not only expected to provide initial job opportunities in infrastructure and manufacturing, but help bridge the digital divide and boost economic development for communities held back by limited or no access to the technology.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/vice-president-biden-kicks-72-billion-recovery-act-broadband-program
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Tarkus: Winter thaw on the Information Superglacier(TM)
Subject: Winter thaw on the Information Superglacier(TM)
Date: 1/12/2010 11:35:26 A.M. Central Standard Time
From: tarkus@ripco.com
To: RONALDMAY@aol.com, ron@themayreport.com
CC: tarkus@ripco.com
Hey Ron,
I'll have a few more meetings to go before I can give you an update from the Information SuperGlacier(TM).
I may have one or more articles of interest. At least one of the companies has some data center / healthcare / public safety ideas that will also be offered as services in Illinois under a Stimulus concept known as Sustainable Broadband.
Speaking of Glaciers, the telecommunications stimulus is nearly completely frozen, Although the first $ 2.x billion was announced last summer, Only the .x portion of the $7.2b has been allocated. The next round of funding is imminent, but they have not completed the announcements on the first round, they extended due diligence on $28 BILLION dollars worth of requests and another $10 Billion in match funds. The first round was for the $2.x. The next (consolidated) round is for the remaining $5B. The rules for the consolidated rounds 2&3 will change from round one.
I used to do grant writing as a part of business development. I started working for educational, governmental and not for profit groups under contract. Even these companies have taken on business clients (more fun to write sustainability sections when the company has a profit motive and a business plan.
The work has actually accelerated my own knowledge curve. While the task may seem one of carrying the water for others or reading instructions to very smart people, I gain rapid exposure to the ideas matched to a particular project. I spend a few weeks to a month developing the project into the terms of an agency or charity which meets the objective of the requesting group. Most Federal grants require sustainability and a strong focus on work plan, talent and budget with a focus on deliverables, leading to evaluation and dissemination. Add to that the added pressure of file completeness and strict deadlines and you get a schedule for crazy hours.
When the year was over, my "you are only a grant writer" job crested a billion dollars in total project costs. At the same time, my transportation (commute, travel) costs diminished substantially. The educational position still requires travel.
What little suit time I have had is in bringing some of the grant award winners to the Information SuperGlacier(TM) to kick the tires on setting up a business in the hinterlands. By the time that they complete a grant request, they have already stated a business case for sustainability to be of interest to the economic developers
I have not figured out how to accomplish knowledge transfer to a 24x7x365 mechanical "brain," so that I can get out and walk the dog. I wonder if there is a grant for that.
Hope all is well.
Tarkus
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A note that warms Ron's heart
Subject: Re: You are supposed to be on the list already since Oct. 2009
Date: 1/11/2010 11:51:35 P.M. Central Standard Time
From: gprenterp@yahoo.com
To: ronaldmay@aol.com
Sorry!
panic set in over the holidays when I didn't receive the report.
Glenn Ragans
Technician
Gpr. enterprises
Chicago, IL
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More pearls of wisdom from Bob Geras
Subject: worth remembering
Date: 1/10/2010 9:41:38 A.M. Central Standard Time
From: bob@vcbob.com
To: ronaldmay@aol.com
"What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal." -- Albert Pike
Bob Geras
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A Note From Gary Teuber of Abacus Business Leaders
From: Gary J. Teuber Sr. gteuber@abacusbl.com
Subject: A Note From Gary Teuber of Abacus Business Leaders
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 2009 14:14:08 -0800 (PST)
To: ron@themayreport.com
Dear Ron:
I wanted you to be aware of a recent Abacus press release. Thank you for your interest!
Abacus Locates to Deerfield, IL;
Helps Smaller Companies Build Value,
Craft Growth and Exit Strategies
December 15, 2009 ? Abacus Business Leaders, LLC (Abacus) announced it has located its office at 500 Lake Cook Road, Suite 350, Deerfield, IL 60015. Abacus has also established a new toll-free phone number, 877.412.2228, and an improved website will be released soon at www.abacusbl.com.
The company was launched in 2008 by five founding principals: Matt Prazenka, Gary Teuber, Bob Genc, Tim Knaus and C.J. Ritterbusch. Each principal has experience leading businesses, managing change and, most importantly, valuation improvement for stakeholders of lower middle market companies. According to Abacus, today?s economy presents both opportunities and challenges for business owners.
The recent recession has made developing deliberate growth or exit strategies for business owners even more essential. The combination of reduced sales activity in a tough business environment has complicated growth planning, while lower market prices for businesses has threatened the exit plans for many owners wanting to sell.
Abacus applies its extensive senior leadership experience to the problems of strategic realignment, financial restructuring and turnaround management. Abacus leaders bring decades of experience in preparing small businesses for growth, transition, or the scrutiny of lenders, investors and buyers.
Hands-On, Flexible Offering
What sets Abacus apart is the hands-on and flexible nature of its service offering. Abacus is unique in how they provide business owners with access to seasoned, small company business leaders who work in the manner that is best for a particular need, whether that be a full-time, part-time or project engagement.
Business owners and managers want help building business value, not creating plans that stand little chance of being put into practice. Abacus Business Leaders work with stakeholders to develop and drive key strategies that can actually be implemented.
About Abacus
Abacus works with private equity firms, families and individuals that own small companies with revenues between $3 and $50 million in the manufacturing, distribution and services industries. Abacus is also a trusted partner of CPA?s, attorneys, commercial and investment bankers and their client companies. The firm provides high-level services focused on the following areas:
* Strategic Growth Planning Customized for Small Companies
* Interim or Project Leadership
* Preparation for Business Sale, Exit or Transition
* Creation and Implementation of Sales Growth Strategies
* Analysis of Strategic Acquisitions
* Operational and Process Improvements
Abacus is headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois and works on-site with companies throughout the Midwest. The firm was launched by founding principals Matt Prazenka, Gary Teuber, Bob Genc, Tim Knaus and C.J. Ritterbusch. Bios on the team can be found at www.abacusbl.com.
-----------------------------
Best Regards,
Gary Teuber
Abacus Business Leaders, LLC
500 Lake Cook Road
Suite 350
Deerfield, IL 60015
877.412.2228 x1010
gteuber@abacusbl.com
www.abacusbl.com
_________________________________________
Tom Flangan, former Partner in charge of the Deloitte office in Chicago, tied to plenty of scandals?
From: Name withheld upon standing request
Subject: RE: The May Report: 1/08/2010: Ophir Frieder, star comp. sci. prof. at IIT, bolts Chicago for Georgetown; Abdur Chowdhury, his preeminent doctoral student, is chief scientist at Twitter -- did you know that the search engine Summize came out of their lab?
Date: Sat, 9 Jan 2010 18:05:43 -0600
To: 'The May Report' ron@themayreport.com
Ron,
Have you written about Tom Flanagan, former Partner in charge of the Deloitte office in Chicago? Lots of good stuff and scandal here. He really misbehaved and has embarrassed Deloitte big time.
Name withheld
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Tuesday, January 19: MIT-EF: Economic Outlook 2010
From: MIT Enterprise Forum of Chicago mailer@mail2.clubexpress.com
Sender: mailer@mail2.clubexpress.com
Subject: MIT EF Jan. 19 Event: Economic Outlook 2010
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 2009 10:34:10 -0600
To: claire@themayreport.com
The Global Entrepreneurial Network: Connect. Inspire. Succeed.
Economic Outlook 2010, Jan 19
www.mitefchicago.org
Our Host Sponsor
For more information, please visit www.klgates.com.
Membership
Become a Member
Renew Membership
Send email to: info@mitefchicago.org
Become a Volunteer
Our Sponsors
A very challenging 2009 is over. Now what? What will the economy be like in 2010?
Are you prepared? What plans have you made?
Join MIT Enterprise Forum Chicago as we look at what the New Year holds for the economy, your business, and your assets.
Expect a lively discussion between the panelists from a diverse group of financial firms based not only here in Chicago but on Wall Street and in Europe, moderated by Tim Curley of UBS Global Wealth Management:
Bryce Bulman, PIMCO/Allianz Investment Management
Mark Keeley, Keeley Investment Management
Adolfo Laurenti, Mesirow
Angela Librizzi, Goldman Sachs Asset Management
Audience questions will be entertained as well.
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Cost
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______________________________________
Tuesday, January 19: ASP - Chicago
Presents "Annual Economic Forecast with David Hale and Andy Busch
From: ASP - Chicago <executivedirector@strategyplus.org>
Subject: Annual Economic Forecast - A Joint Program Hosted by ASP - Chicago Chapter & the Harvard Business
Date: Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:25:46 -0800 (PST)
To: <ron@themayreport.com>
ASP - Chicago
Presents
"Annual Economic Forecast - A Joint Program Hosted by the ASP Chicago Chapter & the Harvard Business School Club"
with David Hale and Andy Busch
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 David Hale of David Hale Global Economics and Andy Busch of BMO Capital Markets.
Register Now
Thank you. We look forward to meeting you on Tuesday, January 19th 2010.
Rick Kaufmann, President
With 2009 behind and while the U.S. economy still faces some significant challenges including high unemployment, can we begin to feel optimistic in 2010? Join us for this annual program and hear the insights into the coming year from two exceptional and world renown economists, David Hale and Andy Busch.
Registration
$40.00 Member Advanced Registration
$50.00 Member Registration Onsite
$50.00 Non-member Advanced Registration
$60.00 Non-member Registration Onsite
$0.00 Student Advanced Registration
$0.00 Student Registration Onsite
$40.00 Affiliate Advanced Registration
$50.00 Affiliate Registration Onsite
Agenda
05:15 PM to 06:00 PM Registration & Networking Reception
06:00 PM to 06:15 PM 1-1-15 Overview
06:15 PM to 07:30 PM Presentation and Q&A
Reservations are requested by end of business, January 11th.
• Advanced registration ends at midnight Monday, January 11.
• For more information contact: Christine Glatz - 815-806-4908
"Annual Economic Forecast - A Joint Program Hosted by the ASP Chicago Chapter & the Harvard Business School Club"
Tuesday, January 19th 2010
5:15 pm to 7:30 pm
The Standard Club
320 S. Plymouth Court
Chicago, IL 60604
815-806-4908
Register Now
https://eventling.com/index.php?file=event_details&companyId=7&event_id=415
Sincerely,
Event Services
Association for Strategic Planning - Chicago
Think Plan Act
Email: cglatz@managementservices.org
Phone: 815-806-4908
Web: http://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
About Our Speakers
David Hale
Chairman,
David Hale Global Economics
David Hale is the founding chairman of David Hale Global Economics and China Online. Mr. Hale serves as the Global Economic Advisor to the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. He formerly worked as chief economist for Kemper Financial Services and Zurich Financial Services.
Mr. Hale is a member of the Academic Advisory Board of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and the National Association of Business Economists. He was recently appointed to the Competitive Markets Advisory Council of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and is the recipient of the William F. Butler Award in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the field of business economics.
Mr. Hale holds a B.Sc. degree in international economic affairs from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and a M.Sc. degree in economics from the London School of Economics.
---------------------
Andy Busch
Global FX Market Strategist & Senior Fellow on Economic Issues for the Illinois Policy,
BMO Capital Markets
Andy Busch is the Global FX Market Strategist for BMO Capital Markets' Investment Banking Division in Chicago and is a senior fellow on economic issues for the Illinois Policy Institute. Mr. Busch consults with the staffs from the US Treasury, Congress, and the White House on economic and financial market issues. He was an adviser on the economy and the financial markets to US Republican Presidential nominee John McCain. He is a recognized expert on the world financial markets and how these markets are impacted by political events.
Andy recently spoke at the Pacific Economic Conference in Russia on the global credit crisis. He met and consulted with the governor of Primorsky Territory and the mayor of Vladivostok over the future direction of the global economy. Andy has appeared for the last five years on CNBC's The Closing Bell with Maria Bartiromo, he is a CNBC contributor, and his blog is number one for CNBC.
Andy graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a BA in Economics from Ohio Wesleyan University in 1983, and received his MBA from the University of Chicago in 1988.
Chapter Details
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Briefly noted, by Ron May
* Wally Cornett used to quip that an entrepreneur, in seeking funds, would go to such extraordinary lengths as to find a Port Au Potty in Port Au Prince. Well, tonight Wally, sadly, with news of the earthquake in Haiti, your words come to mind.
* The Groupon party last Thursday night had great food, and the booze was paid for by a sponsor, I hear. The party was held at Carnivale at 702 W. Fulton and it was packed with no room to sit. http://www.carnivalechicago.com/
Very few of the people were recognizeable by Jeff Willinger who is obviously well connected in the tech and social media space. Jeff told me that he recognized only about ten people out of 400. So, it was not the ITA or TC crowd.
The attendees were by and large Groupon users -- translation, bargain hunters.
As I understand it, Groupon is already in twenty to thirty cities and the staff is well in excess of 100.
Groupon is getting into Twitter and a product called fourSquare.com.
foursquare Is the New Twitter at SXSW
http://www.appscout.com/2009/03/foursquare_is_the_new_twitter.php
http://london-twitter.posterous.com/why-foursqure-rummble-bitly-twitpic-dabr-will
Why Foursquare, Rummble, bit.ly, Twitpic & dabr Will #Fail
Twitter Inventor Invests in Foursquare
http://mashable.com/2009/09/28/twitter-foursquare/
Cafes, Twitter and Foursquare
By James Hoffmann | Published: November 24, 2009
http://www.jimseven.com/2009/11/24/cafes-twitter-and-foursquare/
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://foursquare.com/learn_more
Get foursquare on your phone!
First things first - let's get foursquare on your phone. Your best bet is to download either our iPhone app or Android app. If you have a Blackberry or another phone with a web browser, you're best off using mobile website (and yes, a Blackberry app is in the works!)
If you have a phone that doesn't have a web browser, you can use our SMS shortcode to check-in by sending messages to 50500 (like this: @ Ace Bar ! enjoying happy hour). Sorry, but this works in the US only for now.
Check-in to places
People use foursquare to "check-in", which is a way of telling us your whereabouts. When you check-in someplace, we'll tell your friends where they can find you and recommend places to go & things to do nearby. People check-in at all kind of places - cafes, bars, restaurants, parks, homes, offices.
You'll find that as your friends use foursquare to check-in, you'll start learning more about the places they frequent. Not only is it a great way to meet up with nearby friends, but you'll also start to learn about their favorite spots and the new places they discover.
Share your experiences with friends
Think of foursquare as an "urban mix tape." We'll help you make lists of your favorite things to do and let you share them with friends. Think beyond your standard review - we're looking less for "The food here is top notch" and more for "Go to Dumont Burger and try the most amazing Mac and Cheese ever." Foursquare will keep track of the things you've done, help you create To-Do lists and even suggest new experiences to seek out.
As you check-in around the city, you'll start finding tips that other users have left behind. After checking-in at a restaurant, it's not uncommon to unlock a tip suggesting the best thing on the menu. Checking-in at a bar will often offer advice on what your next stop should be. Every tip you create is discoverable by other users just by checking-in.
Earn points and unlock badges!
Every foursquare checkin earns you points. Find a new place in your neighborhood? +5 points. Making multiple stops in a night? +2 points. Dragging friends along with you? +1.
And as you start checking-in to more interesting places with different people, you'll start unlocking badges. There are badges for discovering new places and for traveling to far away places. Spending too much time singing karaoke or been hitting the gym consistently? Yes, there are badges for those too :)
Become the mayor! Unlock some freebies!
We all have our local hangouts and foursquare keeps tabs on who's the most loyal of all the regulars. If you've been to a place more than anyone else, you'll become "the mayor"... until someone else comes along and steals your title.
It may sound a little silly until you see the list of places that are offering freebies to our mayors - free coffees, free ice-cream, free hotel stays - it pays to be a foursquare loyalist and check-in whenever you go!
And so that's about it - ready to sign up?
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
* Late Sunday night, I got a call from Jackie Quinn of the AP Radio network and she was trying to track down Paul Lasiuk whose name she had found while googling on the TMR site.
Paul Lasiuk, it turns out, was on the United Airlines Airbus A319 flight from Chicago's O'Hare airport which had to make an emergency landing because only two of the three landing wheels on the Airbus A319 deployed as the plane was making its final approach into Newark, New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport.
And Jackie Quinn found Paul on google appearing in TMR from his days at Lifeserv which was way back in 2001.
My question is, does anyone know where Paul Lasiuk works today?
This is probably the umteenth time I have gotten a call like that and it only underscores how powerful a tool Google is.
http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/United_Airlines_flight_makes_rough_emergency_landing_at_Newark_Airport?dpl_id=147467
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United Airlines flight makes rough emergency landing at Newark Airport
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A United Airlines Airbus A319, similar to the one involved in the incident.
Image: Bill Abbott.United Airlines Flight 634 made a very rough emergency landing yesterday morning when only two of the three landing wheels on the Airbus A319 deployed as the plane was making its final approach into Newark, New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport. After multiple attempts to fix the problem failed, the pilot decided that an emergency landing was the only remaining choice.
Only the plane's nose gear and left landing gear had descended. The right landing gear would not release. The airliner made a go-around as the crew attempted to fix the problem. Passenger Jim Falk knew something was wrong saying, "Normally a big plane like that doesn't do a bypass, so we knew something was wrong."
However, the pilot decided that nothing could be done to bring the gear, an emergency landing was declared. "We are going to have an unusual landing," the pilot calmly announced to the 53 passengers seated on the plane, according to passenger Moritz Loew. Another passenger, Paul Lasiuk said he was more shocked than scared, telling himself, "You have no choice. You're going to go through this."
"Brace! Brace! Brace!", the pilot announced over the plane's public address system, calling for passenger to enter the brace position as the plane made a rough touchdown on the runway at Newark. The plane touched down on the nose wheel and left rear wheel before lurching to the right causing sparks to fly as the right engine skidded along the runway. Eventually, the plane came to stop at 9:27 A.M. EDT.
Afterward, passengers and crew evacuated the plane by sliding down the evacuation slides and moving quickly away from the plane due to fears it might explode. They were then taken by bus to the airline's lounge were they told their stories to investigators and waited for their luggage. Three passengers reported minor injuries but refused treatment.
The emergency landing caused the airport to shut down for 20 minutes, but service quickly resumed on two of the airports three runways. The plane remained on the runway throughout the afternoon as investigators determined the cause of the landing gear failure.
This is in contrast to last week, when the airport was shutdown for six hours after a young man named Haisong Jiang breached security by passing through an exit to kiss his girlfriend goodbye.
According to passengers, the crew remained calm during the ordeal. Jim Falk said, "They did a great job. There was no yelling, screaming, panicking or anything." Falk said he wanted to buy a bottle of Champagne to the currently unnamed pilot. Falk added, "The pilot did a beautiful job. He didn't put it in the water like the other pilot did, but he should be commended."
What's a great landing? One that you walk away from.
-Moritz Loew, passenger on United Airlines Flight 634
Martin Trebino, a spokesperson for United Airlines said they would not release the pilot's name on Sunday, but did not indicate when his name would be made available either.
Paul Lasiuk said, "I've had a lot of worse landings at Newark before. It was unbelievably smooth."
Moritz Loew joked with himself afterward saying, "What's a great landing? One that you walk away from."
The flight, which left Chicago's O'Hare International Airport early Sunday morning around 6 A.M. reported no other problems during the flight up until the incident. According to United Airlines spokesperson Robin Urbanski, it remains unclear why the landing gear failed to deploy. Urbanski added that passengers' tickets would be refunded and that they would receive vouchers and credit towards any future flight.
* Well, this has been a red letter day for Ronald P. May. On this, the 53rd year, eighth month and twenty ninth day of my life, I have now taken another big step toward being dependent on technology to live.
As you know, I have been sick in some way since December 20th. I spent five days in the hospital and was released on December 31st in the afternoon.
At the time of my discharge from NMH, 16th floor, we did not know if I had a bacterial or viral infection and we still don't. None of the blood cultures showed any signs of growth.
That did not stop them from bombarding me with antibiotics, however.
We knew that I had fevers between 101 degrees and 103 degrees. We knew that I had low blood pressure with typical readings being 75/40. We knew that I had a bad hacking cough which was treated effectively with Robitussin and codine.
We know that these symptoms went away and we also know that the anti-biotics may or may not have worked. I was given heavy doses of Zosyn and vancomycin.
The permacath in my groin was removed on Tuesday, December 29th and we still don't know if that tube contributed to the problem or not.
I got home and was wiped out. I had no energy and it took all my energy just to stay awake for four or five hours.
I was constantly taking naps, and I also had no appetite. I was easily racking up about 14 hours a day sleeping.
I have also continued to have fevers, but low grade, and they have been mostly between 99.5 degrees and 99.9 degrees. I sweated a lot and soaked four or five T-shirts a day -- or night -- in sweat.
That brings us to today, January 12, 2010.
I could barely walk to the cab to get to dialysis. I have a huge problem walking and am out of breath. When I got to the clinic, I asked for a wheel chair.
I am back to coughing.
I've been having big trouble sleeping.
But now we have some real numbers to explain what is up.
My hemoglobin is 8.3 which is severely low.
That explains my fatigue, anemia, sleepiness, low energy, etc., etc.
But there is more. I am on Coumadin which is a blood thinner invented at UW-Madison many years ago. My PT INR should be between 2.0 and 3.0. But it is a whopping 7.5!
That means my blood is very thin and there could be internal bleeding.
And there is more. My phosphorus is low, at 1.5 when it should be 3.5 to 5.5.
That means I am not eating much.
Because of my breathing problems, they put me on oxygen during dialysis today.
I could not have imagined at 11am that by 5pm my life would be changed and the oxygen tube is now a 24x7 reality.
The chief technician from the pulmonary company whose name is also Ron delivered the equipment and gave my helper Carlos and me all the gory details.
The portable canisters are good for four hours each. For long meetings, I will carry two of them.
There are tubes galore, and things have to be changed every two or six weeks, etc. Distilled water and absolutely no smoking.
There go the cigars which I have not been smoking much of anyway. My last cigar was a few months ago.
After all this, there is good news.
I already feel much better and I have only been on the machine since 4:30pm.
So, don't be surprised when you see at meetings with a tube in my nose and a canister on my arm.
One day can be a life changer.
I already find it easier to get up from chairs and it is easier for me to walk.
I had always thought that my walking problems were due to high fluid retention. But it turns out that the big problem is saturation, I believe the technician said. Saturation refers to oxygen and every time you use your muscles, you require energy and that requires oxygen.
In other words, it is all about oxygen.
Ain't life grand! When you wake up in the morning, you have no idea what life has in store for you.
One last thought. Had it not been for my getting the oxygen equipment at home, I would probably be in the hospital tonight rather than sitting comfortably at home!
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