I found this article on a beer website that I visit, and knew some of you would be interested in it.  Looks like the great American Brewery may stay in America.

ST. LOUIS, June 26, 2008 - Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc. (NYSE: BUD), a leading global brewer, today announced that its board of directors has unanimously determined that the unsolicited, non-binding proposal by InBev (Euronext: INB) to acquire all outstanding shares of Anheuser-Busch for $65 per share is financially inadequate and not in the best interests of Anheuser Busch shareholders.

“InBev’s proposal significantly undervalues the unique assets and prospects of Anheuser Busch,” said Patrick Stokes, chairman of the board for the company. “The proposed price does not reflect the strength of Anheuser-Busch’s global, iconic brands Bud Light and Budweiser, the top two selling beer brands in the world, with Budweiser selling in more than 80 countries today. The proposal also undervalues the earnings growth actions that the company had already planned, which have significant potential for shareholder value creation; the company’s market position in the United States, the most-profitable beer market in the world; and the high value of its existing strategic investments.”

The board thoroughly studied the proposal with independent financial and legal advisers on multiple occasions during the two-week period since the proposal was made, and the board’s independent directors also met alone to fully examine its merits.

“The InBev proposal fails to be competitive with alternative plans the company has developed in recent months to generate significant top-line and bottom-line growth, which will increase value for the company’s shareholders,” said Douglas A. Warner III, the board’s lead independent director. “The board will continue to consider all opportunities that build shareholder value.”

The board communicated its decision in a letter sent from August A. Busch IV, president and chief executive officer of Anheuser-Busch to Carlos Brito, chief executive officer of InBev. Full text of the letter follows:

June 26, 2008

* Mr. Carlos Brito
* Chief Executive Officer
* InBev nv/sa
* Brouwerijplein 1
* 3000 Leuven
* Belgium

Dear Carlos,

This is to provide you with a response from the Anheuser-Busch board of directors to your unsolicited and non-binding proposal submitted June 11th.

First, let me express our appreciation for your public comments about your high regard for Anheuser-Busch, its employees, leadership and wholesalers, remarking on the success of our company in building iconic brands and the independence of its board of directors.

We have noted that your letter is expressly not an offer, but only a non-binding proposal. Notwithstanding the non-binding nature of your proposal, the Anheuser-Busch board carefully and thoroughly examined all aspects of your proposal with the assistance of independent advisers.

The board unanimously concluded your proposal is inadequate and not in the best interests of Anheuser-Busch shareholders. In reaching this conclusion, the board considered the advice of its independent financial advisers.

The Anheuser-Busch board believes that your proposed price substantially undervalues Anheuser-Busch, its key assets and its prospects, among them:

* Premier, iconic brands - Anheuser-Busch has built coveted, highly valued brands over the past 150 years. Budweiser and Bud Light are among the top 10 global consumer brands and are supported by valuable marketing properties. Bud Light is the largest selling beer brand in the world and Budweiser is the second-largest. These brands have strong consumer loyalty. Recent change of control acquisitions of other major consumer product companies with iconic brands have been valued at much higher multiples than what you have proposed for Anheuser-Busch shareholders.

* Market leader position - The strength of these brands and the close relationship the company has with its wholesalers have made Anheuser-Busch the U.S. market leader with almost 50 percent share in the world’s most-profitable beer market. In sheer size, the United States is the world’s second-largest beer market and continues to grow.

* Growing international partners - Anheuser-Busch has large, strategic investments in two international brewers in important growth markets. We hold a 50 percent direct and indirect interest in Grupo Modelo, the leading brewer in Mexico, another very profitable beer market. Modelo also has a strong, growing business in the United States. We hold a 27 percent interest in Tsingtao, the leading premium beer and one of the largest brewers in China, which is the largest and fastest-growing beer market in the world.

* Global brand business - Budweiser is a leading global brand, sold in 80 countries around the world, and is the largest-selling beer in Canada. Budweiser is the leading international brand in China, the world’s largest and fastest-growing beer market. We own our Budweiser brewery in India and recently entered Vietnam. We see strong growth for Budweiser in Mexico, Argentina, Paraguay and other Latin American markets.

* Accelerated Earnings Growth - Our company already has developed a detailed, accelerated earnings growth plan that 1.) expands our cost initiative through an enhanced productivity plan that we refer to as the Blue Ocean effort to deliver more than $750 million in savings through 2009 and $1 billion in savings through 2010, while furthering environmental sustainability; 2.) extends the strong revenue growth from our brands that we’ve seen over the past five years; and 3.) drives additional volume growth for core brands through new consumer opportunities and for our successful, higher-margin new products.

Anheuser-Busch’s beer brand building expertise is an asset without comparison. Our brands sell in countries around the world and are sought by consumers everywhere. Our award winning advertising, U.S. and global sponsorships and superior-quality image are second to none.

As you state in your letter, there is limited overlap in our respective businesses. Many of the suggested synergies seem not to be synergies at all, but are instead profit enhancements. We believe that we can deliver similar enhancements to our shareholders independent of a transaction, and have included these enhancements in our accelerated earnings growth plan.

From your standpoint, we see that now could be opportunistic timing for you to make this acquisition, given the weak U.S. dollar and sluggish U.S. stock market. From the standpoint of the Anheuser-Busch shareholder, however, a transaction with InBev at this time would mean foregoing the greater value obtainable from Anheuser-Busch’s strategic growth plan. We are convinced that pursuing our program will enable Anheuser-Busch shareholders, rather than InBev shareholders, to realize the inherent value of Anheuser-Busch.

While Anheuser-Busch pursues its plan, its board will continue to consider any strategic alternative that would be in the best interests of Anheuser-Busch shareholders. The board is open to consider any proposal that would provide full and certain value to Anheuser Busch shareholders.

Our two companies know each other well and have a close dialogue and relationship. This has developed over the years through our joint agreements in the United States, Canada and South Korea and through our exploration of other joint business deals. As you say yourself, you dream big. We respect your desires to grow your company. But your growth should not come at the expense of our stockholders.

Very truly yours,

August A. Busch IV

cc: Board of Directors of InBev nv/sa

About Anheuser-Busch:
Based in St. Louis, Anheuser-Busch is the leading American brewer, holding a 48.5 percent share of U.S. beer sales. The company brews the world’s largest-selling beers, Budweiser and Bud Light. Anheuser-Busch also owns a 50 percent share in Grupo Modelo, Mexico’s leading brewer, and a 27 percent share in China brewer Tsingtao, whose namesake beer brand is the country’s best-selling premium beer. Anheuser-Busch ranked No. 1 among beverage companies in FORTUNE Magazine’s Most Admired U.S. and Global Companies lists in 2008. Anheuser-Busch is one of the largest theme park operators in the United States, is a major manufacturer of aluminum cans and one of the world’s largest recyclers of aluminum cans. For more information, visit www.anheuser-busch.com.

The Knuckleball is a baseball pitch with an erratic, unpredictable motion. The pitch is thrown so as to minimize the spin of the ball in flight. This causes vortices over the stitched seams of the baseball during its trajectory, which in turn can cause the pitch to change direction — and even corkscrew — in mid-flight. This makes the pitch difficult for batters to hit, but also difficult for pitchers to control. The challenge also extends to the catcher, who must at least attempt to catch the pitch, and the umpire, who must determine whether the pitch was a strike or ball.

The pitch was invented by a Phillie named Lew Moren in 1906.

Quotes on the knuckleball

• “You don’t catch a knuckleball, you defend against it.” ? Dodgers manager and former catcher Joe Torre
• “Trying to hit Phil Niekro is like trying to eat Jell-O with chopsticks“. ? All-star outfielder Bobby Murcer
• “I never worry about it. I just take my three swings and go sit on the bench. I’m afraid if I ever think about hitting it, I’ll mess up my swing for life.” ? All-star first baseman Dick Allen
• “I always thought the knuckleball was the easiest pitch to catch. Wait’l it stops rolling, then go to the backstop and pick it up.” ? broadcaster and former catcher Bob Uecker
• “There are two theories on hitting a knuckleball. Unfortunately, neither of them works.” ? famed hitting coach Charlie Lau
• “You know, catching the knuckleball, it’s like trying to catch a fly with a chopstick.” ? catcher Jason Varitek
• “If it’s high, let it fly. If it’s low, let it go.” ?Common saying describing how to approach hitting the knuckleball.
• “Throwing a knuckleball for a strike is like throwing a butterfly with hiccups across the street into your neighbor’s mailbox.” ? Hall of Famer Willie Stargell
• “For a knuckleballer, a pitch count of 150 is not a problem. Unless it’s the first inning.” ? Dave Clark
• “Like some cult religion that barely survives, there has always been at least one but rarely more than five or six devotees throwing the knuckleball in the big leagues… Not only can’t pitchers control it, hitters can’t hit it, catchers can’t catch it, coaches can’t coach it, and most pitchers can’t learn it. The perfect pitch.” ? Ron Luciano, former AL umpire
• “Hitting Niekro’s knuckleball is like eating soup with a fork.” ? Richie Hebner
• “You’re not expected to hit it. [I am] expected to catch it.” ? John Flaherty summing up his day catching Tim Wakefield in a spring training game against the Twins by relaying a comment made by fellow catcher Mike Redmond. Flaherty retired the next day.
• “Knuckleballs suck.” ? Geno Petralli after giving up four passed balls in one inning

Try these if you are looking for something a little different.

Black Velvet - A classic drink originating from late 19th century England.
Ingredients - 3/4 champagne or ginger ale 1/4 dark stout beer (ex Guniness)

Boilermaker - A drink made popular by the many industrial workers.
Ingredients -1 glass of beer 1 shot of whiskey The shot can be either poured into the beer or chased by the beer

Depth Charge - The cousin of the boilermaker. The difference is that the shot (glass with whiskey) is actually dropped into the beer then consumed.
Ingredients - 1 glass of beer 1 shot of whiskey Pour the beer then pour the whiskey into the glass. Drop the glass into the beer and drink.

Hefemosa - Similar to the champagne mosa you would drink with a Sunday brunch only with a white wheat beer (hefeweizen) taking the place of the bubbly.
Ingredients - 3/4 glass of white wheat beer 1/4 glass of champagne or sparkling wine

Raspberry Stout - For those of you with a sweat tooth this dark giant should do the trick.
Ingredients - 1 glass of dark stout (ex Guniess) 2 table spoons of raspberry syrup

Broadway - A very carbonated blast of beer and cola. 1/2 beer 1/2 cola Snakebite- With the popularity of cider on the rise many folks should give this one a try.
Ingredients - 1/2 woodpecker cider 1/2 dark stout

Black Pecker - With the popularity of cider on the rise many folks should give this one a try.
Ingredients - 1/2 woodpecker cider 1/2 dark stout

Woodruff Berliner Weisse - A beautiful eye catching green drink. If you can find the woodruff syrup( aka Waldmeister) give this tasty drink a chance. 1 glass of white wheat beer 2 shots of woodruff syrup.

The Woodruff Berliner Weisse is very good, I had it this weekend at Nodding Head.

Pace.

George Carlin passed away last night in Santa Monica Ca. Carlin died from heart failure.

Carlin, who had a history of heart and drug-dependency problems, died at Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica about 6 p.m. PDT (9 p.m. EDT) after being admitted earlier in the afternoon for chest pains, spokesman Jeff Abraham told Reuters.

Known for his edgy, provocative material developed over 50 years, the bald, bearded Carlin achieved status as an anti-Establishment icon in the 1970s with stand-up bits full of drug references and a routine called “Seven Words You Can Never Say On Television.” A regulatory battle over a radio broadcast of the routine ultimately reached the U.S. Supreme Court.

In the 1978 case, Federal Communications Commission vs. Pacifica Foundation, the top U.S. court ruled that the words cited in Carlin’s routine were indecent, and that the government’s broadcast regulator could ban them from being aired at times when children might be listening.

The Grammy-winning Carlin remained an active presence on the comedy circuit. Carlin was scheduled to receive the John F. Kennedy Center’s prestigious Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in November and his publicist said Carlin performed in Las Vegas this month.

His comedic sensibility revolved around a central theme: humanity is a cursed, doomed species.

“I don’t have any beliefs or allegiances. I don’t believe in this country, I don’t believe in religion, or a god, and I don’t believe in all these man-made institutional ideas,” he told Reuters in a 2001 interview.

Carlin told Playboy in 2005 that he looked forward to an afterlife where he could watch the decline of civilization on a “heavenly CNN.”

“The world is a big theater-in-the round as far as I’m concerned, and I’d love to watch it spin itself into oblivion,” he said. “Tune in and watch the human adventure.”

Carlin wrote three best-selling books, won four Grammy Awards, recorded 22 comedy albums, headlined 14 HBO television specials, and hosted hundreds of variety shows. One was the first episode of “Saturday Night Live” in 1975, when he was high on cocaine.

Drug addiction plagued him for much of his life, beginning with marijuana experimentation as a teen, graduating to cocaine in the 1970s, and then to prescription painkillers and wine. During the cocaine years, Carlin ignored his finances and ended up owing about $3 million in back taxes. In 2004, he entered a Los Angeles rehab clinic for his alcohol and Vicodin abuse.

George Carlin Facts

I found this the other day, and it is cool to pop in from time to time and take a look.

Deer Cam

Today was mostly squirrels and birds. But some of the guys from my hunting and fishing site have spotted some large bucks.

I put it up in the corner of my screen and just keep an eye out for something walking through.

Pace

Yeah you are reading that correctly.  Lenny Dykstra AKA Nails is an accomplished stock guru.

Don’t believe me?  Google his name and see what pops up.  Go ahead….I can wait….Ok do you believe me now?

Dykstra lives in Wayne Gretzky’s old mansion, has his own private jet, living the life.

Here is some of the back story of Nails.

He as drafted by the NY Mets in the 13th round.  He went on the win the World Series in 1986 against them Red Sox.  Dykstra was traded to the Phillies on June 18, 1989, along with pitcher Roger McDowell and minor-league player Tom Edens for outfielder Juan Samuel.  He played his last season in 1996 and officially hung them up in 1998 after trying to make a comeback at the age of 35.

Today, Dykstra is a columnist for TheStreet.com, manages his own stock portfolio, and serves as president of several of his privately held companies, including car washes; a partnership with Castrol in “Team Dykstra” Quick Lube Centers; a ConocoPhillips fueling facility; a real estate development company; and a new venture to develop several “I Sold It on eBay” stores throughout high-demographic areas of Southern California. Dykstra has helped bring to the forefront an investment strategy called “Deep in the Money Calls”. He has also appeared on Fox News Channel’s The Cost of Freedom business shows. With money received in these ventures he was able to purchase Wayne Gretzky’s $17 million estate.

In 2002, Dykstra made a much-anticipated return to New York when he was elected as part of the Mets’ 40th Anniversary All-Amazin Team. In 2006, Dykstra also returned to Shea Stadium as the Mets honored the 20th Anniversary of the 1986 World Championship team. Dykstra received among the evening’s loudest ovations, and it is clear that to this day, he remains one of the city’s biggest fan favorites. Dykstra has recently voiced a greater desire to get back involved in baseball, and his name has been mentioned as a possible coach or manager for the Mets; and Dykstra has also recently served as a part-time instructor at Mets’ spring training at their camp in Port St. Lucie.

Will Lenny be back with the Mets after they fired Willie Randolph?

As a side note Lenny’s son Cutter Dykstra was drafted this year in the 2nd round by the Brewers.  He is a shortstop/second baseman.  Cutter, should have been a pitcher.

Pace

The Red Sox are in town to play my hometown team the Philadelphia Phillies.

I was at the game last night and what a bunch of crap this Red Sox Nation is.  We get a bunch of lobster eaters down here to tell us how hard it is to be a Boston fan.  WTF?  How hard it is to be a Celtics fan, or Pats fan.  WTF?  Do they not know they are coming to Philly, are they so concerned with who they are not to know who we are?

I had 5 Sox fans in front of us at the game and they could not give us Colon’s starting record, hello you should know your pitchers record.  At least give us a ballpark idea, 5-2, 4-1, 3-4, have something to tell me.

Next is the Phillies are winning 4-0 and the Red Sox hit a HR.  Well every Sox fan is up yelling like they won the world series.  They are still losing by 3, just proof that they don’t have a clue.  It’s like being down 21 points in a football game and sacking the quaterback and jumping up like you just won the Super Bowl.  Know when to celebrate.

Here is the biggest scam to get into Red Sox Nation, you have to buy a membership.  Yes that is right go to RedSox.com and put down your $13.95.  You get a decal and get to watch the gameday tracker doing the game live.  Gameday tracker is free to every other teams fans.  But you also get to go in the special Nation’s entrance at Fenway.  Yeah you get access to your own secret entrance, along with the 500k other fans who paid the money.  It is probably easier to get in the other entrances.

Finally, Boston is a fraud city anyway.  I was up there the week before the AFC championship game watching Chargers fans walk around and bash the Pats.  This would not fly in Philly, no way can you wear your teams jersey in our town the week of a championship game.  No one heckled them, screamed at them, booed them out of a bar, nothing.

The night we were up there the Sixers played the Celtics and we sat in a bar a few miles away from the game and cheered for our Sixers all night.  No one said anything, not ribbing from the bartender, nothing.

Boston is a fraud.

Pace

So watching the US Open like 50% of America tonight, and I noticed something, Golfers are Divas!

Tiger on the 17th hole steps back from his shot because he heard a camera shutter go off. I mean come on I know you need to keep quiet and still, but a camera?

In baseball guys are hitting and pitching with 3x the amount of fans watching. People are always screaming at the hitter or pitcher and it is just part of the game.

Football players actually have to talk to each other to communicate, and they have 70k+ cheering them on.

Why do golfers get this benefit? Does someone burping really throw their game off that much? Does a fart cause them a championship? I find it amazing that some drunk does not yell at Tiger when he is in his back swing.

I mean for tomorrows playoff round could you actually bet on the underdog and holler at Tiger during key shots? Is so why has no one tried it?

Think about it…… Tiger is on 18 going for a tie with a 10 foot putt. When he starts his swing someone yells, what would happen? He would not get to play it over, if he is “Mr. Ice” why would it affect him?

I love Tiger and can’t wait for tomorrow at 12et to see what happens.

Pace

No longer will “The King of Beers” live in America, he is being purchased by a Belgium company called InBev. Today InBev offered $46,000,000,000.00 for Anheuser Busch. InBev owns Becks, Bass, and Stella.

The Busch family will still have ownership in the company, roughly 4 percent. This takeover was not supported by the Busch family. InBev has bolstered their bottom line by cutting cost. Does this mean some of the 12 Budweiser plants around the US will close? Will this close any of their theme parks? What will happen to the Clydesdale’s?

InBev was the 2nd largest brewery in the world, following Heineken at number one. Coors merged with Moslon a few years ago to form Molson Coors Brewing company, so I don’t know if that makes them an American company or Canadian Company. Remember if you will that Miller is owned by a South African company. So the days of the American brewery are over.

This is breaking news and I am sure details will follow.

Pace

I have known about this for a while, and have started to try other Irish Stout’s to get away from Guinness. Do you love Guinness? Well most of the stuff you get in from Canada, not Ireland. I got this article from the AP so I can’t take credit for it. But I thought you would like it.

A dispute between several local Irish pubs and the Guinness Bass Import Co. continues more than a year after the bar-owners halted sales of Guinness-brand beer.

So, while the silky, dark brew flowed abundantly at an Ireland Chamber of Commerce luncheon for Guinness’ president of North American operations Thursday, taps in several of the city’s most popular pubs carried Murphy’s and Beamish Stout.

“It offends me,” said Chris Mullins, the owner of McGillin’s Olde Ale House. “I don’t like dealing with people who are doing something contrary business.”

At issue is a Guinness marketing policy of helping investors start new Irish pubs by teaching them the ins and outs of running a pub, from selecting a site to planning a menu. Bar owners say the practice allows Guinness to subsidize new pubs that will put established pubs out of business. About a half dozen Philadelphia bars are taking part in the boycott, which does not appear to have spread outside the area.

“It’s not about competition,” Mullins said. “Every year, new Irish pubs open, (but) they’re not supported by one of the largest corporations in the world. They’ve got to buy from the same suppliers I do.”

Tim Kelly, Guinness’ president of North American operations, was in Philadelphia on Thursday for a luncheon with the local chapter of the Ireland Chamber of Commerce in the United States, He said the pub development is simply a way to sell more beer for the company, which is a subsidiary of the London-based Diageo PLC food conglomerate.

“Our job is to sell Guinness,” Kelly said. “It’s about consumer demand.”

We don’t open or manage pubs. What we do is give training and advice to anybody who wants it, whether it’s a new pub or an existing pub,” Kelly said.

Philadelphia pub owners who have stopped selling Guinness, however, say they don’t get the same benefits as those just starting out.

“We feel that we helped them become the successful brand that they’ve become,” said Mark O’Connor, an owner of the Irish Pub who has coordinated the protest. “We’d like them to market their beer as they always did, through the independent pub system.”

O’Connor also worries that other brewers might start competing with his establishment and create what Mullins called “cookie-cutter, Disneyesque Irish pubs.” “Our argument is, what if Anheuser-Busch does the same thing? What if they use the same percentage of their resources to start new business?” he said.

More than a year after abandoning Guinness, the boycotting pub owners say business hasn’t suffered. “I was very nervous when we took Guinness off,” O’Connor said. “But as long as you have a good alternative, people are coming for the atmosphere, not for the Guinness.”

“We’re doing as well as we’ve ever done,” Mullins said.

If you get a chance stop by McGillians, it is a nice place. I have talked to Chris and it is a family run pub with Father and Son both working there.

Pace