quote:

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Originally posted by BoltBait:
Happy Birthday implode and iccarus!

I feel honored that you both spent your birthday here with me instead of with your real friends.

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Birthday was Thursday. We went out tonight instead, since more people can hang out on a Friday night.

Plus, I have a free pass to spend all day at the prerelease on Saturday.

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Originally posted by TakingBackSunday:
what a week!

johnathondearmz finally got what was coming to him.

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You're kidding! I can't believe I missed it! What happened?

EDIT:
Ah, I see. About time. 8-|

__________________
D≡P≡CH≡ MOD≡
"The tin man says I'm doing fine"

*Silver Jewelry*New/Returning players guide to Magic*

We made about 100 bucks on the yard sale today, not too too bad. At least it was a nice day.

Thanks,
Jazaray

__________________
A Plastered Dragon Original Limerick:
There was a nice lassie named Jaz
Many wished to have what she has,
A delicate face,
A soft warm embrace,
And a whole lot of bedroom pizzazz.

WeedIan: Jazaray is like MOTL's Mom.

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Originally posted by Mr.C:
So, a Brazilian/Belgian company has made a buyout offer to Anheuser-Busch, which has been accepted. Wonder how that will go in America. Do the American beer-drinkers here are if the company that owns them is 100% American or not?

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I had heard about the offer, but not the acceptance. Purely from an economic standpoint and as a person more concerned about the business ramifications than any changes in the product's perception or persona, I thought it strange that in their bid, they had proposed closing ZERO plants in the United States. However, they neglected to mention what may come in the way of individual layoffs and restructuring. If they keep all the facilities open, but only keep half the staff, that's big news.

In terms of the actual drink and the average drinker's take on it, I look at it like this - when there have been major mergers of big companies like Shell/BP, AOL/Time Warner, HP/Compaq, etc. the parties directly involved care. A few consumers worry about prices, quality, and monopoly issues, but the vast majority of users aren't likely to be affected very much. They'll still continue to make the same beer and I suspect people who drank it before will still purchase it, and people who looked down on it, won't suddenly flock to it, because it's not purely an American beer now; they'll still get their imported beers.

Unless this company totally changes their recipe and starts using solely barley/haups from South America/Europe, I don't forsee much more than a minor ripple in the buying habits of the average American consumer.

quote:

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Originally posted by Mr.C:
So, a Brazilian/Belgian company has made a buyout offer to Anheuser-Busch, which has been accepted. Wonder how that will go in America. Do the American beer-drinkers here are if the company that owns them is 100% American or not?

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Its a VERY sad sad day in my book. Anhueser Busch was a pillar of the community of STL, MO. They worked with 100's of charities. They didn't think twice about stopping beer production to bottle water during Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. They were everything you could hope a company would be in terms of good corporate values. They were a green company, who always strived to be the company who did the most recycling, not only in the United States--but in the world. They were a huge example setter for other companies.

ST Louis, and Missouri in general stands to loose 1000's of jobs based on inbevs planned $3 billion dollars of cuts to trim the fat. Inbev doesn't have the track record of charity, nor exceeding green standards set by Budweiser. Though inbev has stated it will keep its HQ in stl, and we hope it will keep its promise--it has broke such promises in the past.

Also in limbo may be the lucrative sponsor deal with the STL Cardinals. Busch has been a title sponsor since the days of Auggie Busch riding around the wagon in the field drawn by the world famous Budweiser Clydesdales. Budweiser was not only an American Tradition, but one in its community. The Busch family is a great American legacy

I agree with the bigger issues raised by implode. How long before Ford is owned by Toyota?

Isn't the idea of "countries" a little outdated? Everyone knows that corporations run the world.

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Originally posted by pyr0ma5ta:
I agree with the bigger issues raised by implode. How long before Ford is owned by Toyota?

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Cynic answer: Hopefully soon, due to their **** poor vehicles.
Real answer: Ford appears to have gone in the opposite direction really; they're actually looking after some parts for imported cars (ie, Ford makes Mazda's transmissions and engines, for starters. I also wish I knew that before I elected to own a Mazda)

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Originally posted by BoltBait:
"American"?

Isn't the idea of "countries" a little outdated? Everyone knows that corporations run the world.

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QFT

quote:

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Originally posted by BoltBait:
"American"?

Isn't the idea of "countries" a little outdated? Everyone knows that corporations run the world.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Our_Benefactors:
This is basically the premise of MGS4.

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It is also the premise of the movie Rollerball... back in 1975.

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Originally posted by implode:
The broader picture, is a president who has ignored the suffering of the dollar--who continues to feed billions into an unwinnable war. That money would likely be better spent dealing our economy, and working on alternative power sources that don't make us rely on the very people we are fighting. Perhaps efforts to improve our relationship with oil rich counties could still help the situation.

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Of course we could not kill terrorists and risk having an unsafe country where you get blown up at the mall, that would help the economy. Unfortunately for Bush, such a thing is impossible to prove that it would happen. I believe American consumer habits are at the greatest fault for it all. But it's easier just to point a finger at Bush. It's also trendy.

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Originally posted by BoltBait:
It is also the premise of the movie Rollerball... back in 1975.

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Oh, duh. I saw that movie like a week ago. (Not the remake, which I've heard sucks.)

/junkie

quote:

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Originally posted by Kluckers:
But it's easier just to point a finger at Bush. It's also trendy.

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I don't know where you've been for eight years... It was trendy to point fingers at him then. Now, it's unfortunate that we still have to.