Category: News

  • CNBC: Warren Buffett Lashes Out At Kraft In Unprecedented Public Attack

    Published: Tuesday, 5 Jan 2010 | 10:31 AM ET

    By: Alex Crippen
    Executive Producer

    In an unprecendented move, Berkshire Hathaway is publicly, and strongly, criticizing Kraft Foods for its continuing efforts to acquire Cadbury [CBY 49.73 -1.92 (-3.72%) ].

    Berkshire says in a news release this morning that it has voted against Kraft’s proposal to authorize the issuance of up to 370 million shares to facilitate a deal, and urges other shareholders to follow its lead.

    As the release pointedly notes in its first paragraph, Berkshire and its pension funds control a stake of over 9.4 percent in Kraft. Berkshire is Kraft’s biggest shareholder, with over 138 million shares.

    Kraft shares are rallying over 3 percent this morning to $28.44, apparently on the belief that Buffett’s opposition will keep Kraft from raising its bid yet again.

    Current price: [KFT 28.77 1.34 (+4.89%) ]

    While Buffett’s name is never mentioned in the news release, it clearly reflects his views, and he’s not happy.

    It is extremely unusual for Buffett to be so publicly critical of a company in which Berkshire has a stake. One long-time investor tells us that “NEVER in my recollection has Berkshire ever voted against management .. This is very significant.”

    Buffett did signal back in September that he opposed an increase in Kraft’s bid at the time, calling the offer “pretty full.” At that time, however, he told us he wasn’t opposed to the existing bid and had confidence in Kraft’s management.

    Things have apparently changed.

    Today’s release says Kraft’s share-issuance proposal would “give Kraft a blank check” to change its offer for Cadbury “in any way it wishes” .. and “we worry very much that, indeed, there will be an additional change” from the sweetened bid (more cash, less stock) announced by Kraft today.

    “To state the matter simply, a shareholder voting ‘yes’ today is authorizing a huge transaction without knowing its cost or the means of payment.

    What we know with certainty, however, is that Kraft stock, at its current price of $27, is a very expensive ‘currency’ to be used in an acquisition.”

    Berkshire recalls that in 2007 Kraft spent $3.6 billion for a stock buyback at about $33 per share. “Does the board now believe those purchases were a mistake and that Kraft’s true value is onlt the current price of $27 per share — and that it is therefore fine to structure a major acquisition based upon that price?”

    Berkshire Portfolio

    The release leaves open the possibility that it could change its vote to “yes” if Kraft’s final offer, to be announced by January 19, “does not destroy value for Kraft shareholders.”

    But for now, Berkshire concludes, “We believe no shareholder should vote ‘yes’ when he can’t possibly know what he is voting for.”

    Kraft responds that it takes Buffett’s opinion seriously, agrees that its shares are deeply undervalued. But, it promises to remain disciplined and “would certainly not do anything that hurts shareholder value.”

    The company says holders will be able to make a fully informed decision by January 19, well ahead of a February 1 shareholders meeting. It’s confident shareholders will authorize the issuance of shares.

    Current Berkshire stock prices:

    Class A: [BRK.A 99710.00 110.00 (+0.11%) ]

    Class B: [BRK.B 3327.00 16.00 (+0.48%) ]

    Companies:Cadbury plc | Kraft Foods Inc. | Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

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  • Guy Buys $3 Billion CD-ROM

    There have been plenty of stories over the years of mispriced goods being found on various e-commerce sites. In the past, I recall stories about airline flights for $10 or computer monitors for $1. All of them were typos, and often the company behind them would deny the sales even as thousands rushed to buy. I never had a problem with companies denying such sales, but many insist that they should be enforced at the stated price. Last year, Taiwanese regulators forced Dell to live up the $15 price it accidentally posted on monitors to the 140,000 people who bought them. Whenever we write about these things people insist that, like in Taiwan, companies should be forced to honor the price.

    So I’m curious what people think when the situation is reversed. In an extreme example, a guy bought an obviously mispriced $3 billion CD-ROM on Amazon. Well, the full price was actually $2,875,934,133.57, but amazingly, it did not include shipping (and handling) which added an additional $3.99 to the bill. Of course, it didn’t take long for Amazon to alert him that it was unable to complete his order and that he was not charged for it. But do the people who support forcing the retailer to honor the deal in the first case support it in stories like this as well?

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  • #PROJECT-Dawha el Hoss: “Alfares Residence”

    Alfares Residence

    Noor International Holding

    Taken from their ad:

    Quote:

    Overlooking the breathtaking sea view and saluting the greeneries of the mountains around, stands “AlFares” project inviting people for a uniquely distinguished community life. A magical distinctive location mixed with a creative human touch, offers you at 8kms from the Lebanese International Airport and 3.5kms from Khaldeh highway, an ideally styled residential project and a place to unwind and enjoy the relaxed pace of family life.
    An exciting opportunity for amateurs of nature and lovers of virgin land, providing residents with a wonderful space for promenading and recreational activities, while enjoying the birds singing in duo with the fresh breeze. The project and its extensions spread over more than sq.m3395.34 at a maximum of 100meters above sea level, decorated by trees, hills and roads. It may be accessed from different directions, mainly the road connecting Beirut, Khaldeh, Dawhet El Hoss, or the Saidon – Dawhet ElHoss road. Keep your family dream alive, come and discover by yourself the “AlFares” project. A project for all those who enjoy eying the magnificent sunrise and observing the serene sunset.


    Renderings:
    There are 3 blocks of apartments. And each apartment block contains two sections – one large housing unit, and one smaller one.

    This one is also sellings its apartments… So I am assuming its been approved? They have construction picks, but its just of them clearing the plot… no foundation or anything has been layed.

  • Croatia’s Blue Volcano Stadium Will Have a Green ‘Cloud’ Hanging Above It [Architechture]

    Let’s appreciate for a second that this future Croatian stadium looks like a city fit for a Lando Calrissian. The thing will have a CLOUD suspended above that can display in-game action or information—all while harvesting solar power.

    Referred to as the “Blue Volcano” (proper name: Za(breg)), this njiric+arhitekti-designed stadium will sit in the heart of Zagreb, Croatia, and will be constructed of steel, recycled rubber and polycarbonate materials, giving it extra green-cred.

    In addition to its teched-out features, the cloud is also intended to provide protection from rain and snow without requiring an all-out dome design. njiric+arhitekti expect the stadium to be completed in 2012. It has even been suggested that the stadium’s exterior could be used for skateboarding and free climbing. Sigh. If only there was a stadium like this in the Bay Area.

    Be sure to check out Arch Daily for more images. [Arch Daily via Inhabitat via Fast Company]







  • Boxee Box Will Be Sold by D-Link, Includes Flash Support and Sport Qwerty Remote

    Don’t ever say Boxee is  to be a little different.  The Boxee team has taken it’s XBMC beginnings, private equity money and bold thinking to shake up the somewhat geeky tech media market with their Boxee product.  This week the Boxee Box “aka extender” gets priced and today they announced a unique remote control to go with it.

    Main_Boxee_Box_With_Cables_BLACK.663

    Boxee Box Gets Spec’d at CES

    The Boxee Box is already a mostly-known entity after it’s unveiling last month.  But this week we get the rest of the details – in particular pricing:

    • D-Link is the hardware manufacturer
    • It’s pretty small and a little unusual looking
    • Cost will be under $200 (read $199.99 MSR)
    • Format Support = DivX, VC-1, H.264, WMV, MKV, Flash 10.1, Mp3, WMA, AIFF, FLAC, AAC, DTS, Dolby, Ogg Vorbis, Jpeg, TIFF, BMP & PNG
    • Integrated Online Services include: Pandora, Flickr, Facebook, Twitter, Pandora, Picasa
    • Add-on apps bring many other niceties including Hulu
    • Remote will be different – read below for more

    via Engadget

    Boxee Box Remote with QWERTY keyboard

    Now Boxee is showing off their new remote with a keyboard.  It certainly is functional, but to me is like holding a calculator upside down and using it as a remote control.  I mean I’ll be hitting text keys constantly when I pick up the remote – it’s bound to happen!

    I might be in the minority on this view as Mrs GeekTonic whom I expected to agree with me thinks it’s a great idea…  She did say it would be nice if the keyboard were hidden with a slider-type covering since it isn’t needed most of the time, but she (and I) like the idea of being able to easily type in text for searches and the like without pulling out a full-blown keyboard.

    Boxee-Box-remote-1024x662

    D-Link-Remote-Keyboard-Layout-ZACH-2-1024x660

    What do you think of the handheld keyboard er remote?

    More on the Boxee Remote at the Boxee Blog


  • Vigil Games: Hollywood interested in Darksiders

    Darksiders may not yet be out, but it’s very clear that the buzz is reaching out far and wide, even to Hollywood. Joe Madureira, comic legend and the creative director behind the game, revealed in a recent

  • Washington DC’s African Celebrities

    Washington D.C. is famous for it’s politicians and powerplayers, but there is another side to it…a creative side teeming with scores of artists, musicians, models and designers who are meeting incredible success in their respective professions.

    Take for example Wale, who has had an incredible ride, landing Lady Gaga on an song BEFORE his first major album.  Tabi Bonney is another rapper putting Washington DC on the map with his incredible lyrical skills while honing his design skills with his own clothing line, Bonney Runway.

    On the fast track from video vixen to self proclaimed actress, Angel Lola Luv a.k.a. Angel Melaku Fershgenet is making strides in her modeling career.  Nunu Wako, Jamati Online’s African Heat Sexiest Woman of 2009 is actively modeling and actively working on making a difference through different charities. Grammy-nominated Wayna has been thrilling audiences in the D.C. metro area for years and is finally getting noticed outside of the local area. Cote Minou, a hot African design house based in the DC metro area, got noticed by Korto Momolu.

    The scene is definitely heating up!  Is it possible that Washington DC could be the next Atlanta/ New York/Hollywood?  Only time will tell.



































  • FINANCIAL TIMES: Buffett looks to stop Kraft getting carried away with takeover bid

    By Justin Baer in New York

    Published: January 6 2010 02:00 | Last updated: January 6 2010 02:00

    Warren Buffett yesterday said he would oppose Kraft’s plan to issue as many as 370m shares to fund its hostile takeover of Cadbury, a stern message from the US food company’s largest investor just as it readies its final assault on the UK chocolatier.

    Berkshire Hathaway, the holding company that controls Mr Buffett’s investments, owns about 9.4 per cent of Kraft. Mr Buffett declined to comment.

    Alice Schroeder, a former stock analyst and author of The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life , said the billionaire investor’s statement may have been an effort to remind Kraft to take a disciplined approach to its final bid before the transaction’s costs overrun its benefits.

    “He’s using his position here to send a message to everyone,” Ms Schroeder said. “He’s obviously frustrated that Kraft hasn’t listened to his private suggestions. And it’s a message partly to Cadbury. For them to call Kraft’s bid derisory, when there are no other offers, is incredible.”

    In a statement, Berkshire said it voted against the share proposal, calling the plan a “blank cheque” that gives Kraft the right to revise the terms of its bid again before the final offer is due on January 19.

    “We worry very much that … there will be an additional change from the revision announced this morning,” Berkshire said.

    “To state the matter simply, a shareholder voting ‘yes’ today is authorising a huge transaction without knowing its cost or the means of payment.”

    Two other rivals, Hershey and Italy’s Ferrero, have said they are weighing making a bid for Cadbury.

    Berkshire said it would consider changing its vote to “yes” once Kraft announces the terms of its final offer.

    But the investment company noted that Kraft spent $3.6bn in 2007 to buy back stock at $33 each, “presumably because the directors and management thought the shares would be worth more. Does the board now believe those purchases were a mistake and that Kraft’s true value is only the current price of $27?” Berkshire said.

    Kraft shares rose about 3.1 per cent to $28.29 in late morning trading in New York. Cadbury’s American depositary receipts slumped 3.5 per cent to $49.86.

    “We agree that Kraft Foods shares are deeply undervalued and we would certainly not do anything that hurts shareholder value,” Kraft said. “As we have stated before, we intend to remain disciplined in this process.”

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  • 5 Great Blogs For Funding Advice

    presentation_funding_jan10.jpgThe best advice we can give you is to know your audience. You don’t try to sell booze to pregnant women, you don’t make God-jokes in Utah and you don’t get a term sheet without tailoring your pitch. Investors are already blogging about what they want from potential portfolio companies, so if you’re looking for funding you should be reading their blogs. While we know there are plenty of useful investment-related blogs, here’s a list of five to get you started.

    Sponsor

    1. BOTH SIDES OF THE TABLE, @msuster: Investor, entrepreneur and blogger Mark Suster is a partner at GRP VC and recently created Launchpad LA – an incubator for Southern California-based companies. Suster has an 11 part series on what makes an entrepreneur successful and it’s a great primer for first time startup founders.

    banknotes_jan10.jpg2. PAULGRAHAM.COM: Best known as the co-founder of YCombinator, Graham and his partners revolutionized the investment model. The entrepreneur popularized both the incubator-style program model and the term ramen profitable to describe lean startups. To look at what Graham is interested in, YCombinator publishes Requests for Startups on an ongoing basis.

    3. A VC, @fredwilson: Perhaps one of the most well-known blogger/VCs, Fred Wilson is a principal with NYC-based Union Square Ventures. He has a 15-year track record and some of his investments include Twitter, Disqus and Etsy. Wilson is an avid blogger and offers insightful commentary on emerging tech trends as they happen.

    4. VENTURE HACKS, @venturehacks: Run by startup advisors Babak Nivi and Naval Ravikant, Venture Hacks offers great advice for early stage startups. The two have raised more than $100 million dollars for companies like test prep site Grockit and open source music company Songbird. With connections to major firms such as Sequoia, Benchmark and Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers, the duo’s blog also features guest posts from top-tier VCs.

    5. VENTURE BLOG, @ventureblog: August Capital’s David Hornik is a former lawyer who has celebrated successful investments in Evite and PayCycle. During the winter of our financial apocalypse, Hornik was one of the first investors to offer a hopeful message to startups. Entitled Innovation Doesn’t Take a Vacation in an Economic Downturn, Hornik’s post inspired many to continue in their pursuit of great products.

    Photo Credit: Flickr user Alistair and Andrew Magill

    Discuss


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  • From Concept to Company in 2 Days: Mingly Invited to Twiistup

    mingly_logo_jan10.jpgIn November of last year, more than 50 people came together for Startup Weekend Los Angeles. They pitched 45 different entrepreneurial ideas, eventually narrowing them into seven teams. They spent Saturday and Sunday working around the clock to create working prototypes of these ideas with help from an expert panel of mentors, speakers and even lawyers.

    Then they voted, and the top vote-getter – Mingly – was born, and has since been invited to Twiistup, a showcase for hot upcoming startups in Los Angeles at the end of January.

    Sponsor

    Mingly, a self-proclaimed “social CRM,” is a universal address book for your various networks of contacts the helps your prioritize and follow up on important relationships. It works with Facebook, Twitter, Google Contacts, and LinkedIn and allows you to create groups and set up alerts.

    The idea was the side project of founder Tyler Koblasa before he decided to pitch the idea to the crowd of entrepreneurs and coders at Startup Weekend.

    Their response? “I need that, I love it, let’s build it,” says Koblasa.

    “I had no expectations,” Koblasa tells ReadWriteWeb. “I did think that in a perfect world, we would end up with a working, more advanced product – which we did.” After the event, he not only had a product, he had a company name and a team of developers to go with it.

    StartupWeekend_Logo_jan10.jpg

    Now, two months later, the small company forged in 48 hours has been chosen to participate in the upcoming Twiistup event, a much coveted invitation to startups because of the event’s exposure to media and investors.

    Twiistup organizer Francisco Dao was one of the guest judges at Startup Weekend Los Angeles and rewarded Mingly with a free application to his event, and he’s not surprised the judges accepted it.

    “It blew me away! I just love that these guys built a prototype in two days,” Dao tells ReadWriteWeb. “And now they’ll be on stage with these larger groups that have funding.”

    Mingly is a great example for entrepreneurs-to-be that starting a business doesn’t always mean quitting your job and spending lots of money. In this case, the Mingly founders spent $75 to attend the Startup Weekend event, and soon they will be “in front of a lot of media and a lot of money,” as Dao puts it.

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  • One More Thing: Multitouch on Nexus One Is Just a Hack Away (VIDEO)

    The only thing preventing Google’s Nexus One phone from supporting multitouch features might be Apple’s patents.

    Allow me to explain: There is nothing in the hardware of this device to prevent multitouch as evinced by Google’s comment this morning at their press conference. When asked if the Nexus One would one day support multitouch, a Google rep responded, “We’ll consider it.” In a word, this means that the hardware is ready for users’ pinching and zooming, but the current iteration of Google’s software is locked to prohibit multitouch for legal reasons. We give the hackers of the mobile world a couple days to hack the device – after all, it’s already been done on the Droid.

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    Here’s a video showing multitouch on a Droid:

    And here’s how that was accomplished. European hackers figured out how to jailbreak the device a scant month after its release. In the States,the folks at AllDroid sussed out how to port the web browser from the Motorola Milestone – which does support multitouch – over to the Droid. Granted, the hack only works for web browsers, but it’s a significant improvement for those who can live with a bricked phone.

    The hack requires the would-be multitouch hero to get root access to the phone and install and delete certain components. Clearly, this user runs the risk of breaking the device and may violate Motorola’s TOS and void the warranty.

    All of the above applies to the Droid. However, the same stipulations that prevent multitouch on that device also apply to the Nexus One: It’s not a hardware issue; the software is simply locked. So, we’re likely looking at a wait of a few days to see who wants to risk a $500+ device in the quest for an Android-powered multitouch mobile via TOS-violating hacks.

    Apple’s involvement with the stalling or prevention of more and better multitouch devices has been a topic of speculation in the mobile gadget press since last year, when a group of several key patents for specific gestures were published. Since then, several multitouch devices, such as Palm’s Pre, have been released without legal fanfare. Still, some speculate that Google’s holding out on multitouch for legal reasons.

    “I think at this point that’s more of a legal consideration than a technical one, since many phones that run Android have the capability of supporting multitouch on a hardware level,” wrote Jason Chen of Gizmodo when he toyed with the device last month.

    And Chris Ziegler of Engadget said, “This is still very much a sensitive subject – but at least we have some confirmation that it’s a software limitation alone… there’s definitely some logic (probably legal logic, but logic nonetheless) behind which devices are getting it in which markets.”

    What do you think – is this a patent issue? Or is the software simply not ready for public consumption yet? Better yet, if you had one of these devices, would you jailbreak it for multitouch capabilities? Let us know in the comments.

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  • Iomega’s iConnect turns thumb drives into NAS drives, puts it all online

    Iomega's iConnect turns thumb drives into NAS drives, puts it all online
    If you don’t trust any of your datas online, meticulously delete your cookies and cache from your browser, and never use the same search engine twice for fear of your online activity being tracked… this post probably isn’t for you. But, if you wish you could get to your most precious of thumb drive files even when those thumbs are at home, Iomega’s new iConnect looks to be about the easiest way to do so — and at $99 one of the cheapest. The device packs four USB ports into which you can plug storage or printers, connecting to your home network via Ethernet or 802.11b/g/n. With a few clicks everything will be available online, and when you’re on your home network you can make use of DLNA streaming, Time Machine backups, and even rely on the integrated torrent manager to make sure your feed ratio is properly philanthropic. All this can be yours next month.

    Iomega’s iConnect turns thumb drives into NAS drives, puts it all online originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Jan 2010 23:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

    Permalink PRNewswire  |  sourceIomega  | Email this | Comments

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  • iHome introduces iP2 iPod / iPhone sound system and iP39 kitchen gizmo

    iHome always does it big at CES, and while we’ve yet to see everything from the company, the first two products showcased are already looking mighty tempting. The first is the iP2 (the obvious followup to the iP1), which touts Bongiovi technology, a 50-watt amplifier and support for dock-connecting iPods and iPhones. You’ll also get individual bass and treble adjustments, an AC output, line-in jack and a bundled remote. The iP39 is an interesting beast, as it’s designed mainly for use in the kitchen. Yeah, the kitchen. Designed to fit the decor found in the modern cooking palace, this timer / iPod alarm clock sports a slide out drawer for docking your iDevice, an FM radio tuner, a device-time sync function and a typical alarm clock — too bad it’s lacking a coffeemaker, huh? The iP2 is expected to make landfall this summer for $199, while the iP39 should start sashaying into domicile in the Spring for $99.

    Continue reading iHome introduces iP2 iPod / iPhone sound system and iP39 kitchen gizmo

    iHome introduces iP2 iPod / iPhone sound system and iP39 kitchen gizmo originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Jan 2010 22:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

    Permalink   |  sourceiP39 specifications (PDF), iP2 specifications (PDF)  | Email this | Comments

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  • ARM demos the Cortex-A9’s web browsing skills on video

    We’ve been hearing reports of the ARM Cortex-A9 holding its own with the ever-present 1.6GHz Atom processor for quite a while now, but ARM is now taking advantage of CES to do a bit more up-front boasting — like this recently-posted video demoing the processor’s browsing performance against an average netbook. While it’s obviously not entirely scientific, the Cortex-A9 does seem to lag only slightly behind — which is all the more impressive considering that the ARM is running at just 500MHz compared to the Atom’s 1.6GHz. Equally impressive: ARM’s fine taste in websites. Head on past the break for the video.

    Continue reading ARM demos the Cortex-A9’s web browsing skills on video

    ARM demos the Cortex-A9’s web browsing skills on video originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Jan 2010 22:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

    Permalink Mac Rumors  |  sourceYouTube  | Email this | Comments

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  • NY TIMES: Kraft Bolsters Its Hostile Bid for Cadbury by Raising New Cash

    Published: January 5, 2010

    Kraft Foods took a big step on Tuesday to shore up its $16 billion hostile bid for Cadbury, the British confectioner, by selling one of its most profitable units to Nestlé.

    But Kraft’s largest shareholder, Berkshire Hathaway, urged the company to be cautious.

    By selling its North American pizza unit to Nestlé for $3.7 billion in cash, Kraft raised money to increase the cash portion of its Cadbury offer, though it did not raise its overall price. Kraft also took out a potential rival in Nestlé, which said it had no plans to pursue an offer.

    Analysts and investors have wondered for weeks whether Nestlé was preparing to make a bid, speculation that grew on Monday after Nestlé, based in Switzerland, said it would sell its remaining stake in the eye care company Alcon for $28.1 billion. Instead, it chose to bolster its presence in the North American frozen-pizza business, acquiring brands like DiGiorno and Tombstone in the United States, Delissio in Canada and the California Pizza Kitchen trademark.

    Yet an unexpected wrinkle also arose when Berkshire, the conglomerate controlled by Warren E. Buffett, said in a statement that it opposed Kraft’s plan to issue up to 370 million new shares to support its Cadbury offer. Berkshire, which holds a 9.4 percent stake in Kraft, said it was worried that the company might spend too much and dilute its shareholders. It pointed to Kraft’s $3.6 billion stock buyback — at $33 a share — as proof that issuing too much new stock at today’s prices would be wasteful.

    “The share-issuance proposal, if enacted, will give Kraft a blank check allowing it to change its offer to Cadbury — in any way it wishes — from the transaction presented to shareholders in the proxy statement,” Berkshire said. The company added that it would change its mind if Kraft’s final bid, due Jan. 19, did not harm its investors. Kraft shareholders will vote on the new shares proposal on Feb. 1.

    While Cadbury has said that it would prefer independence than absorption into a low-growth food conglomerate, the company has also said that it would consider bids that were high enough. Analysts estimated £8, or $12.80, a share as a starting point.

    Cadbury’s chairman, Roger Carr, derided Kraft’s offer, saying its talk of discipline was “simply a smokescreen to justify an attempt to steal from the Cadbury shareholders.”

    But Kraft is under pressure from investors not to dilute their holdings too greatly, limiting the amount of stock it can issue. Mr. Buffett said last year that he believed Kraft’s original offer was a “pretty full” price. At the same time, Kraft has vowed to maintain an investment-grade rating.

    By selling its North American pizza business, Kraft plans to offer an additional 60 pence a share in cash to Cadbury shareholders. Kraft had begun talks with Nestlé over the pizza business before it bid for Cadbury, according to a person briefed on the matter.

    Jon Cox, a food and beverage analyst at Kepler Capital Markets based in Zurich, said he did not believe Berkshire’s opposition would sink the deal.

    “It has a negative impact, but I still think the shareholders will approve the deal,” he said, adding that Kraft would be buying Cadbury relatively cheaply, compared with similar recent deals.

    With Nestlé bowing out, Kraft’s remaining potential rivals are Hershey and Ferrero, the Italian chocolate maker, neither of which has yet presented a competing proposal.

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  • Glucose Control Genetically Determined

    Interesting research shows that the degree of blood sugar control achieved in type 1 diabetics is determined in large measure by genetics. The study showed that glucose control achieved by diabetics was closely correlated with the glucose levels in their non-diabetic, pre-diabetic relatives (who were still in normal blood sugar range), which suggests that glucose control is heavily influenced by genetic factors independently of self-discipline, patient training, frequency of monitoring, diet, exercise, etc. Some bodies, it seems, are just naturally designed in such a way that the blood sugar is less stable.

    Source: H. Sneider, et al, "HbA1c levels are genetically determined even in type 1 diabetes," DIABETES, vol. 50, no. 1, p. 2858 (2001).

  • Kool And The Gang, Kool And The Gang Songs Download

    Kool & the Gang’s eclectic mix of funk, disco, jazz, soul and R&B was hugely popular in Cuba, especially with those growing up in the 1980s.

    The crowd knew the words to most of their songs, as well as many of the disco dance moves.

    Forty-eight-year-old Asi Dominguez had arrived early with her husband and daughter to ensure they got a place at the front.

    “We listened to them at home, at school, at parties, at discos, everywhere”, she recalled with enthusiasm.

    “It’s just fantastic to be able to listen to them live here. It’s better late than never.”

    Her husband Frank recalls on their first dates dancing to Kool & the Gang’s music.

    “It was a great time for us. We were all 15 or 16 and that was our music.”
    The group’s main members over the years included brothers Robert Bell (known as “Kool”) on bass and Ronald Bell on tenor saxophone; George Brown on drums; Robert Mickens on trumpet; Dennis Thomas on alto saxophone; Claydes Charles Smith on guitar, and Rick Westfield on keyboards. The Bell brothers’ father was an acquaintance of Thelonious Monk and the brothers were friends with Leon Thomas.
    The visit made by Kool and The Gang to Havana has been very important. Several exchanges took place with Cuban musicians and Cuban art students and they were given the Cubadisco 2009 Honor Award.

    Calle 13 is expected in Havana

    René Pérez, the Residente from the frequently awarded Puerto Rican duet Calle 13 has been informing for several weeks to several press media on their possible visit to Cuba and he has also communicated this through the social network Twitter.

    They were even ready to reach Cuba within the international movie festival which took place in Havana, in which was screened the documentary Sin Mapa on their trips around Latin America. But they were unable to come because they didn’t get on time
    the permit from the US State Department.

    Recently in Mexico, René Pérez said that his trip will take place in March and that his project in our country is not a concert for peace as was that of the Colombian Juanes, but simply a party for which some musicians will be invited.

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  • Body Bug, Body Bug Biggest Loser

    Biggest Loser Winners will not be with these forty former contestants of the show, stated sources. It has also been reported that he has put on the more than hundred pounds after leaving the show and now weighs over three hundred pounds. Benson’s regaining of extra pound popped up the question whether the contestants follow the diet chart after leaving the show.

    Regaining weight is not the only reason for which he is kept out of the show. The relation between the ‘Biggest Loser’ organizers and Ryan C. Benson deteriorated after Benson made a public statement that he had reduced weight by dehydrating himself and fasting for considerable period. He also said that extreme dehydration made him urinate blood. This statement of the former winner creatednegativeimpact onthereputation of the showandraised a question in people’s mind whether Biggest Loser Winners practice proper exercises to reduce their extra mass.
    The offiical Biggest Loser store now lists items like Biggest Loser Protein, the Biggest Loser Bath Scale, the Biggest Loser Cookbook, and The Biggest Loser Workout DVD Set. But it’s important to note that these Biggest Loser products aren’t always easy on the pocketbook. For example, the BodyBugg calorie counter is listed at the price of $199 at the 24 Hour Fitness website .

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  • Body Bug Biggest Loser, Body Bug Biggest Loser Diet

    Biggest Loser Winners will not be with these forty former contestants of the show, stated sources. It has also been reported that he has put on the more than hundred pounds after leaving the show and now weighs over three hundred pounds. Benson’s regaining of extra pound popped up the question whether the contestants follow the diet chart after leaving the show.

    Regaining weight is not the only reason for which he is kept out of the show. The relation between the ‘Biggest Loser’ organizers and Ryan C. Benson deteriorated after Benson made a public statement that he had reduced weight by dehydrating himself and fasting for considerable period. He also said that extreme dehydration made him urinate blood. This statement of the former winner creatednegativeimpact onthereputation of the showandraised a question in people’s mind whether Biggest Loser Winners practice proper exercises to reduce their extra mass.
    It’s no surprise that products like the bodybugg get a boost from The Biggest Loser. The show’s weight loss results are simply inspiring – and viewers want to know how they can also drop the pounds. (See before and after pictures from last season here.)

    The offiical Biggest Loser store now lists items like Biggest Loser Protein, the Biggest Loser Bath Scale, the Biggest Loser Cookbook, and The Biggest Loser Workout DVD Set. But it’s important to note that these Biggest Loser products aren’t always easy on the pocketbook. For example, the BodyBugg calorie counter is listed at the price of $199 at the 24 Hour Fitness website .

    Share/Save/Bookmark

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  • LA PAZ | Torre Maria Emma | 22p

    Despues de tiempo un edificio que supere los 20p, el nuevo edificio mas alto del barrio de Miraflores

    Estado: En Construcción
    Inversionista: N.D.
    Constructora: N.D.
    Costo: N.D.
    Conclusion: N.D.
    Ubicacion: Avenida Busch, Miraflores, Zona Central