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Getting down to the last couple races , 2 to go, and the Chase for The Keg .. Uuhh .. Chase for the Cup. :-] Join us this Labor Day week-end and unwind after the Obama Slamma Jamma Fest. As Always , This thread is dedicated to the men and women that serve and have served us so proudly. Let their labor and sacrifice not be in vain. God Bless Our Troops and Their Families!

In the terrorism case of two young Egyptian nationals and University of South Florida students arrested August 4 in South Carolina, fascinating twists and turns abound. There’s a secret recording of the defendants discussing strategy shortly after their arrest. There’s a You Tube video in which one of the defendants gave instructions in Arabic on converting a remote-control toy into a bomb detonator, which one defendant allegedly told police was made to help people in Arab countries “defend themselves against the infidels invading their countries,” specifically “against those who fought for the United States.” That’s not all. The father of...

Pepsi Center Getting Makeover For DNCManager: 'Transformation Will Be Enormous' UPDATED: 12:21 pm MDT July 6, 2008 By CHUCK PLUNKETT and ELIZABETH AGUILERA The Denver Post DENVER -- The Pepsi Center hands over the keys to construction teams for the Democratic National Convention Committee at 8 a.m. Monday, and the on-the-ground, multimillion-dollar race to transform the arena into a convention hall by Aug. 25 begins. Standing inside the Pepsi Center not long after Denver won the bid, the facility's general manager, Dave Jolette, waved his hand at the vast space in something like awe, or maybe fear. "The transformation," he...

In a country, where 80% of schools lack access to drinking water, Pepsi challenges students to stave off obesity while selling them soft drinks. Every day small armies of street vendors gather outside the gates of Mexico's schools to tempt the nation's children. "I don't like drinks without flavour," Raul explained one recent afternoon as he succumbed to the siren's call of a bright red fizzy drink. "I don't know anybody who does." Mexicans down more soft drinks than any other nationality in the world, aside from Americans, and even their traditional diet is filled with fried food and sugar....

>As the year comes to a close, it’s time to announce the FiveWorst CEOs of 2007. The CEOs shared a common theme: they allowed the liberalagenda embodied by Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to drive businessdecisions.  All of the “winners� are actively seeking federal regulationto address global warming despite the fact they failed to evaluate the economiccost of regulation – higher energy prices, slower economic growth and anincrease in job loss – on consumers and future earnings.  In addition, the CEOs also failed toanticipate the unintended consequences of promoting global warming fears ontheir businesses. The desire for regulation is an outgrowth...

Pepsi, Coke rivalry becomes physical Fri Oct 12, 9:46 PM ET The long-standing rivalry between Coke and Pepsi took a physical turn Friday when a Pepsi deliveryman allegedly punched his Coke counterpart in the face at a western Pennsylvania Wal-Mart, state police said. The two deliverymen were "apparently bickering back and forth" while unloading their wares at the Indiana County store, police said. When the Coke deliveryman left the store, his counterpart allegedly punched him in the face three times, breaking his nose and giving him a black eye, police said. No charges have been filed, but police characterized the...

http://www.snopes.com/rumors/budweiser.asp They apparently don't like to have their stuff copied, since they won't let me select the text. Therefore, link only.

TOKYO - Japanese are staying cool as a cucumber this summer with "Pepsi Ice Cucumber" — a new soda based on the crisp green gourd. The soft drink, which hit stores here on Tuesday, doesn't actually have any cucumber in it — but has been artificially flavored to resemble "the refreshing taste of a fresh cucumber," said Aya Takemoto, spokeswoman of Japan's Pepsi distributor, Suntory Ltd. "We wanted a flavor that makes people think of keeping cool in the summer heat," Takemoto said. "We thought the cucumber was just perfect." The mint-colored soda is on sale just for the summer...

The next time you drink a Pepsi, take a moment to think about the role the beverage played in the early days of the civil-rights struggle. Mere sugar water it may be. But in the early 1940s, Pepsi-Cola was one of the only big American companies willing to give blacks a chance to prove themselves as white-collar talent. The story of the cola wars is taught often as a business-school case study. However, the battle had a fascinating sociological dimension as well. When Pepsi began challenging Coca-Cola in the 1930s, the upstart was decidedly down-market, selling its product in cheap...

PepsiCo Inc said on Monday that its president and chief financial officer Indra K Nooyi will become chief executive officer of the world`s second-largest soft-drink maker. Nooyi, 50, is slated to replace CEO Steven Reinemund on October 1. Reinemund, 58, will continue as chairman of the board until his retirement in May 2007. Reinemund has worked for PepsiCo for 22 years, serving as chairman and CEO for five. He said in a statement he is retiring to spend more time with his family. Nooyi`s CFO responsibilities will be divided between PepsiCo International CFO Richard Goodman and Senior Vice President Hugh...

On August 15th, I posted the following in response to Indra Nooyi’s appointment as CEO of Pepsico: This is a copy of the letter I just sent to Pepsico. Dear BOD: I have been a consumer of Pepsi products as long as I can remember. Indeed, my grandfather bought Pepsi stock in the post-depression era which was subsequently willed to my parents. However, that came to an end today when you announced the appointment of Indra K. Nooyi as your new CEO. I have read her speech where she referred to the US as the "middle finger" of a world-wide...

Pepsico Inc. Chief Financial Officer Indra K. Nooyi will replace Steven Reinemund as chief executive, the Pepsi-Cola and snacks company said yesterday, making her the No. 2-ranked female CEO in the Fortune 500.     With her Oct. 1 appointment, Mrs. Nooyi takes her place in an elite group of 11 female CEOs running Fortune 500 companies. Patricia Woertz at agricultural processor Archer Daniels Midland Co. ranks first. ADM is ranked 56th in the Fortune 500, while Pepsico, the world's second-largest soft-drink company after Coca-Cola Co., is ranked 61st.     "I'm very excited and at the same time very humbled," she told analysts...

PepsiCo announced today that Steve Reinemund, 58, Chairman and CEO, will retire next May. "After 22 years with PepsiCo, more than five of them as Chairman and CEO... The board of directors has elected Indra K. Nooyi, 50, as CEO effective October 1, 2006. Mr. Reinemund will serve as Executive Chairman of PepsiCo and will continue to serve as a member of the board of directors until his retirement in May, 2007.

Pepsi Alerted Coca-Cola to Stolen-Coke-Secrets Offer•Three Arrested for Allegedly Stealing, Plotting to Sell Coca-Cola Recipes•Coke: Coca-Cola (KO) and Pepsi (PEP) are usually bitter enemies, but when PepsiCo Inc. got a letter offering Coke trade secrets, it went straight to its corporate rival. Six weeks later, three people were scheduled to appear in federal court Thursday to face charges of stealing confidential information, including a sample of a new drink, from The Coca-Cola Co., and trying to sell it to PepsiCo......

Doctors will this week declare war on America's soft drinks industry by calling for a 'fat tax' to combat the nation's obesity epidemic. Delegates at the powerful American Medical Association's annual conference will demand a levy on the sweeteners put in sugary drinks to pay for a massive public health education campaign. They will also call for the amount of salt added to burgers and processed foods to be halved. The moves come as U.S. doctors - like their British counterparts - are becoming increasingly alarmed at the growing number of deaths linked to obesity. The resolution will put doctors...

A shareholder group is gaining momentum in its efforts to pressure companies to disclose charitable giving -- with donations linked to the Rev. Jesse Jackson... The National Legal and Policy Center has stepped up efforts to require corporations to disclose more details about their donations... The Rainbow/PUSH Citizen Education Fund, which in 2001 provided payments to Jackson's former mistress. The Church Falls, Va.-based non-profit group hit two shareholders meetings this week -- Boeing on Monday and PepsiCo Inc. on Wednesday. "Many shareholders would certainly object to their money going to a controversial and divisive figure like Jesse Jackson," said Peter...

LiveScience.com Thu Jan 5, 12:00 PM ET Despite what many may have heard, drinking soda does not increase the risk of developing esophageal cancer. In fact it might protect against it, a new study finds.Cases of cancer affecting the esophagus, the muscular tube linking the mouth and stomach, in the United States have more than tripled since the 1970s. And in the past 50 years, Americans have increased their annual consumption of carbonated soft drinks nearly five-fold, from 10.8 gallons in 1946 to a whopping 42.2 gallons in 2000. The two trends are strongly correlated and in 2004, Indian researchers...

The take of Iran’s conservative media on an article published last week in the German magazine Spiegel once again highlighted their disconnection with the real world, especially on issues relating to Palestine. Spiegel published a satirical article on Iranian president Ahmadinejad’s suggestion of moving Israel and the Jews to Europe, which in itself was received with chuckles and cynicism in Europe. But the conservative press in Iran and even the influential newspaper Resalat devoted its main headline (issue no 23) to the Spiegel’s article, referencing it as a “document attesting the righteousness of president Ahmadinejad’s suggestion.” In this article, I...

Trial lawyers who made a fortune from lawsuits against tobacco companies are moving on to a new potential payday: Suing soft drink companies over the sale of sugary beverages in schools. Stephen Gardner, staff lawyer for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, and half a dozen other lawyers – several of them veterans of successful tobacco litigation – plan to file a lawsuit in the next few months seeking to ban sales of sugary beverages in schools.

Coke to phase out Vanilla Coke in U.S NEW YORK (Reuters) - Coca-Cola Co., the world's largest soft drink maker, said on Friday it would phase out its Vanilla Coke, Vanilla Diet Coke and Diet Coke With Lemon beverages in the United States by end of this year. Coca-Cola shares were down 1.1 percent in afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange. The announcement came a day after Coca-Cola said it would phase out Vanilla Coke and Vanilla Diet Coke in the United Kingdom early next year. The company said sales have declined. Coca-Cola added that it plans to...

In Surat, Muslims are joining hands to fight the ‘‘great American multinational invasion.’’ Handbills asking the community to shun American multinationals like Coke and Pepsi are being circulated outside mosques and madrasas and in Muslim-dominated areas of the city. The handbills, in the name of Nandurbar-based Jamia Islamia Ishaatul Uloom Akkalkuwa — a renowned centre of learning, seem to have struck a chord for many are boycotting American products in the holy month of Ramzan. The handbills, which carry an appeal to boycott American as well as Jewish products, are being circulated in Rander, Sagrampura, Zampa Bazaar, Chowk Bazaar, Hodi...

Just an observation as I've been following the news today. The "credible" threat NYC mayor Bloomberg acted on today, by increasing the police presence and bag checks for all NYC subways, was subsequently downplayed by the Bush administration. The the situation was "spiced up" later in the day, when a suspicious-looking coke can (yes, coke - not Pepsi as you might imagine) was identified - prompting the closing of an entire section of the NYC subway. Fortunately it was discovered that the coke can meant no harm and it was all a misunderstanding - this after the can was inspected...

The Astrodome isn't big enough for the entire state of Louisiana. Does anybody know if refugees will be sent to Denver??

When rumours began to circulate last month that US drinks giant PepsiCo was planning to launch a hostile takeover bid for French food company, Danone, France’s politicians—virtually without exception—rallied to defend the independence of the group, promising to do everything possible to block the bid. Describing Danone as “a flower of our industry”, the French prime minister, Dominique de Villepin, called for a campaign of “economic patriotism” to stop important French companies falling into foreign hands. At a time when Italy’s central bank also stands accused of obstructing foreign takeover bids for two Italian banks, what do such sentiments say...

Reader Ken Kampshoff points out that Drudge has posted the guests and menu for the White House dinner given by President and Mrs. Bush this evening for Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Mrs. Gursharan Kaur. Among the guests are Weekly Standard executive editor Fred Barnes, Rep. Bobby Jindal, and GE chief executive officer Jeffrey Immelt -- great! (We'll meet up with Jeff Immelt ourselves tomorrow night when he makes the rounds for Dartmouth in Minneapolis.) Also on the guest list is Ms. Indra Nooyi -- not great! In fact, almost unbelievably disgusting. Why? If you're new to Power Line,...

PepsiCo, Pepsi Bottling Slip on Downgrade[No Indra?] Friday July 1, 1:04 pm ET PepsiCo, Pepsi Bottling Shares Dip on UBS Downgrade to 'Neutral' From 'Buy' NEW YORK -- PepsiCo Inc. and Pepsi Bottling Group Inc. shares dipped on Friday, after investment bank UBS cut its opinion on the snacks and soft drink maker, citing concerns about rising energy costs and signs of revival at its chief rival, Coca Cola Co. Shares of PepsiCo, the world's second biggest soft drink maker after Coke, shed 45 cents, or nearly 1 percent, to $53.48 on the New York Stock Exchange, where it was...

Russian Nationalist Party Prepares Bill Banning Coca-Cola, Pepsi Deputies of the ultra-nationalist Liberal-Democratic faction of the State Duma have prepared a draft law banning the sale of soft drinks containing caffeine and other stimulating supplements including vitamins, Ekho Moskvy radio reported on Monday. If passed, the bill would outlaw popular drinks such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi. The explanatory note to the bill says that despite the fact that caffeine content in Coca-Cola and Pepsi does not exceed the legally allowed norms, the drinks can nevertheless be hazardous as some consumers drink large quantities at a time. The radio quoted a...

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - An Indian village has defied a court order and again refused to give US softdrink giant Coca-Cola permission to exploit water at its bottling facility, an official said. The southern Indian village would go to the Supreme Court to challenge a Kerala High Court directive that it issue a permit allowing Coca-Cola to use 500,000 litres of water a day, the village official said. Coke's plant is situated in Plachimada, 510 kilometres north of the Kerala state capital Thiruvananthapuram, which falls under the Perumatty village council administration. "We will appeal to the Supreme Court against the High Court's...

Memo to Neville Isdell, CEO, Coca-Cola: Major E. is Thirsty! Hey, Coca-Cola: Carpe diem! Seize the Day! Your moment is now! I understand that you don't want to make too unseemly a display of rejoicing at Pepsi's self-immolation, but now is the time to act. I do hate to give away free consulting, but here's what you need to be doing: MEMORANDUM TO E. NEVILLE ISDELL Chairman, Board of Directors, and Chief Executive Officer The Coca-Cola Company I don't know if anybody at the Coca-Cola Company has noticed, but your number one competitor has been in a bit of hot...

WHEN THE HARVARD-YALE FOOTBALL GAME was played in Cambridge last fall, Yale students pulled off one of the great college pranks of all time. During the game a fake Harvard pep squad wearing red and white face paint distributed 1,800 pieces of construction paper on seats covering the Harvard side of the stadium. When turned over in unison by the occupants of the seats, they were purportedly to spell out "Go Harvard." Instead, they spelled out "We suck." (See the Harvard Sucks website for the back story and multimedia presentations.)The Columbia Business School MBA recognition ceremony took place at Madison...

Apparently PepsiCo's President and CFO, Indra Nooyi, thinks the USA is giving "the finger" to all the world. That's right, she was heard to claim that the USA is flipping the bird to every other nation on earth in a commencement address she gave to the graduates of Columbia Business School on May 15th. All commencement speakers have the singular problem of finding a way to give their address a "hook", a way to grab the audience. Indra Nooyi chose as her "hook" an analogy of the five fingers of the hand as representing the five major continents. With apologies...

Muslims throughout the Islamic world are now being advised not to consume Pepsi Cola because it contains the parts of pigs used it it's production ~ Begin my translation ~ Al-Irsyad – the Islamic Agency for Research in Egypt has now recommended that Muslims are not to consume Pepsi Cola because it is being suspected of containing material that has been made from the intestines of pigs. Dr. Mustofa Asyak'ah an agency member has asked for the other members of the agency to gather to discuss this problem, so that the Muslim community can receive clarity as to whether the...

For a glimpse of the blogosphere's growing power, witness the brouhaha now afflicting PepsiCo (PEP ) over comments earlier this week by President and CFO Indra Nooyi before the graduating class of Columbia University's B-school. Her comparison of the five major continents to the five fingers on her hand -- with the U.S.(not a continent, mind you) being the controversial middle finger and Africa the often-ignored pinkie -- will strike many as entirely innocuous. As she put it: "Each of us in the U.S. -- the long middle finger -- must be careful that when we extend our arm in...

Rush Limbaugh sounds off on controversy as many urge boycotts, firing of president An apology by PepsiCo's president who likened the United States to a middle finger is apparently doing little to calm outrage caused by her remarks. In the wake of WorldNetDaily's coverage of Indra Nooyi's commencement speech to graduates at Columbia Business School in which she compared the U.S. to the middle finger with both positive and negative connotations, consumers are vowing to boycott the company, and the topic is being widely discussed on talk radio.

I would like to start a boycott of Pepsico following the comments of their President/ CFO at Columbia University

The remarks by Indra Nooyi, an India-born woman who also serves as PepsiCo's chief financial officer, came during a speech Sunday to graduates at Columbia Business School. Nooyi then went on to say the five major continents in the world can each be represented by a finger on the hand. She said Africa was the pinkie; She said our thumb is Asia; Europe was compared to the index finger; South America, including Latin America, was likened to the ring finger; She said her analogy "leaves the long, middle finger for North America, and in particular, the United States.

As I sit here drinking a Diet-Pepsi I'm wondering, why should I drink something that tastes this bad after PepsiCo president Indra Nooyi's speech at Columbia. Americans are dying every day bringing freedom to Iraq and Afghanistan, and killing terrorists who target much of the world to which Nooyi thinks we are giving "the finger." Does Diet Coke really taste that much worse than Diet Pepsi? If Donald Sensing, who actually likes the drink, is considering a boycott, so should I.

An e-mailer forwarded the latest from Pepsico: "Thank you again for contacting us about Indra Nooyi's recent commencement speech at Columbia University, which has created a difficult situation. Overriding everything else, please know how sorry we are for disappointing you - and how much we appreciate your input. Feedback such as yours has been shared directly with Indra, and she clearly regrets the reaction that this unfortunate episode has caused. With that in mind, Indra has asked us to share this statement with you: "Following my remarks to the graduating class of Columbia University's Business School in New York City,...

<p>Following my remarks to the graduating class of Columbia University’s Business School in New York City, I have come to realize that my words and examples about America unintentionally depicted our country negatively and hurt people.</p> <p>I appreciate the honest comments that have been shared with me since then, and am deeply sorry for offending anyone. I love America unshakably – without hesitation – and am extremely grateful for the opportunities and support our great nation has always provided me.</p>

We have been inundated with messages responding to our posts on the graduation remarks by PepsiCo president Indra Nooyi at the Columbia Business School MBA recognition ceremony of this past Sunday. Many readers (approximately a third) have written to comment that, unlike our rapporteur -- graduating Columbia MBA Wes Martin -- they did not find Ms. Nooyi's remarks objectionable. I am grateful that PepsiCo posted the remarks today (together with the accompanying statement) and that we can all determine the issue for ourselves based on "the ocular proof." The Harvard-Yale game this year was played in Cambridge. Consistent with some...

This morning we carried the report of newly-minted Columbia MBA Wes Martin on the speech given by PepsiCo president and chief financial office Indra Nooyi at the MBA recognition ceremony this past Sunday. Here is the statement that PepsiCo Director of External Relations Elaine Palmer forwarded to us in response: Thank you for checking with us on Indra Nooyi's speech at Columbia. We saw the item on your blog and are shocked to see that you took Ms. Nooyi's comments to be anything but pro-American and supportive of the United States and its role as a global leader. The characterization...

A message from PepsiCo’s President & CFO, Indra Nooyi I recently had the privilege of speaking to the 2005 graduating class of Columbia University’s Business School in New York City. Recognizing that these talented new leaders will influence both America and the world, I tried to provide some advice as they embark on their careers. I chose to speak about the powerful role that America, and we as Americans, hold in the world today. I hoped to encourage these graduates to be sure they make a positive and personal difference as representatives of our great country. In my comments, I...

The Columbia Spectator has stopped publishing until next fall, so we are unable to verify or supplement the report of reader Wes Martin, Columbia MBA 2005. Martin wrote us late last night: At yesterday's recognition ceremony for newly minted Columbia Business School MBAs, we had the president/CFO of PepsiCo as our distinguished guest speaker. After beginning her speech with words of praise and recognition for the graduates and their families, Ms. Indra Nooyi began to make the political statement du jour. After talking of her childhood back in India, Ms. Nooyi began to compare the world and its five major...

Just saw a howlingly funny new Pepsi ad set in ancient Rome. A couple of Roman soldiers ride up to a group of ragged men wearing chains. One is holding a paper bag. "Hey, guys," says a soldier, "one of you left this behind at the last rest stop. There's half a sandwich here, and a can of Pepsi. I think the guy's name is written on the bag. Yeah, it says Spartacus. Anybody here named Spartacus?" Cut to Kirk Douglas standing up and saying, "I'm Spartacus," then Tony Curtis, then the rest of the crowd. It's the actual scene...

PepsiCo said yesterday that it was reviewing the Rev. Al Sharpton's service on a minority advisory board after learning two accused con men claimed on wiretaps that Sharpton would help get them big bucks from the soft-drink giant. "We appreciate his service on our advisory board, and we're in the process of reviewing the situation and understanding the facts," said Pepsi spokesman Dave DeCecco. The Post revealed yesterday that the two men — who raised big bucks for Sharpton's unsuccessful 2004 presidential bid — were hoping he'd get them access to "billions" in PepsiCo funds but were left high and...

It's just a hunch, I have no evidence. I have no inside information, accept what I intuit from what I see. The Pubs made a bad move with the Federal Legislation; GWB realized that too late. He could not storm the hospice for 2 reasons: (1) The media would have eaten him alive as a police state Hitler; (2) there are police offers guarding the hospice who have a duty also, and there could have been bloodshed. The worst of all worlds. The same applied to Jeb Bush- I believe that GWB, Jeb and all the pubs backed off because,...

For farmers in the eastern Indian state of Chhattisgarh it is cheaper than pesticides and gets the job done just as well. The product? Pepsi or Coca-Cola. Agricultural scientists give them some backing - they say the high sugar content of the drinks can make them effective in combating pests. Unsurprisingly, Pepsi and Coca-Cola strongly disagree, saying there is nothing in the drinks that can be used in pest control. Cheaper

David Beckham's string of lucrative sponsorship deals seem safe for the moment despite allegations that he had a fling with a personal assisstant.Mobile phone giant Vodafone said, 'It is a private matter for David Beckham to deal with.'Soft drink giant Pepsi refused to be drawn into the controversy.Beckham signed an extension to his multi million pound sponsorship deal with German sportswear manufacturer Adidas last month.A company spokesman dismissed any talk the allegations would impact their relationship with the Real Madrid star as 'silly.'High Street chain Marks and Spencer, which has worked with Beckham or a range of childrens wear, were...

What better industry to help pitch (and in some instances, sell) digital music downloads than carbonated sugar water companies. Coca-Cola's UK digital download service stumbled on its first day, while Pepsi uses RIAA lawsuit recipients to sell soda (and iPods) during the Super Bowl. As Annanova reports, Coca-Cola's MyCokeMusic website failed to launch on its first day, but has since gone live with 250,000 tracks. Meanwhile, Pepsi has struck a deal with 20 victims of RIAA lawsuits who will appear during Super Bowl ads slugging down sugar water and waxing poetic over i-tunes (see Internet News). "We are still going...

Report: Pepsi signs distributor agreement with Iraqi soft drink company Despite the popular boycott of US-made products in the Middle East, American soft drink major Pepsico has signed an agreement with Baghdad Soft Drinks to relaunch its cola in Iraq, reported the Wall Street Journal. Baghdad Soft Drinks was Pepsi’s distributor in Iraq prior to 1990, before the Arab state was constrained by UN economic sanctions. Pepsi will begin shipping its cola beverage and new glass bottles to Iraq with the next few months, the newspaper said. The Middle East is one of the few markets where Pepsi enjoys...