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Pastimes : Clown-Free Zone... sorry, no clowns allowed -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Knighty Tin who wrote (268821)	11/26/2003 9:18:15 AM
From: UnBelievable	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 436258

DJ Wal-Mart Likely To Buy Brazil --------------------- Wed Nov 26 09:12:12 2003 EST Chain From Ahold - Report Have a good holiday everyone. (New highs all around for Thanksgiving?) SAO PAULO (Dow Jones)--U.S. retail giant Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) may be just days away from closing a deal to buy the 120-store Bompreco supermarket chain in Northeastern Brazil from troubled Dutch retailer Ahold NV (AHO), local daily Valor Economico reported Wednesday. A source close to Wal-Mart's administration in Brazil told the paper that talks are advanced and the U.S. retailer is ready to assume control of Bompreco Jan. 4 - so long as "substantial points of the contract" can be successfully negotiated. As reported in August, a court order issued by a judge in the Northeastern state of Sergipe has threatened to fine Ahold if it sells its 40-store G. Barbosa chain together with Bompreco. Ahold is trying to unload both assets as part of a wider exit from Latin America in the wake of an accounting scandal that hit earlier this year. An antitrust body in Brazil recommended that Ahold spin off 17 of its G. Barbosa markets because of overlap with Bompreco stores, but a final decision from the country's top antitrust body is still pending. Wal-Mart's biggest competitor in the race to snap up the Ahold assets, meantime, has been elbowed out of the contest in recent days, sources close to the contender told Valor. The competitor, Brazil's biggest retailer Companhia Brasileira de Distribuicao SA (CBD), submitted a competitive bid but attached numerous conditions and offered less attractive payment terms than Wal-Mart. Analysts are expecting Bompreco, which had sales of 3.34 billion reals ($1=BRL2.93) last year, to sell for about a third of gross revenue. Ahold and Wal-Mart declined to comment on whether they were nearing a deal, while competitor CBD refused to say if it has pulled out of the contest. Ahold aims to raise about EUR2.5 billion via asset sales to help reduce its EUR11 billion debt load. Shareholders of the Dutch retailer approved a EUR3 billion rights issue Wednesday.

To: Knighty Tin who wrote (268821)	11/26/2003 9:23:57 AM
From: Pogeu Mahone	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 436258

bottoms up! Quirky Turkey and Gravy Soda Selling Well Those Who've Tried It Say 'Sip, Don't Chug' By REBECCA COOK, AP SEATTLE (Nov. 25) - A new Turkey and Gravy Soda tastes, well, pretty much like you would imagine. But that's not stopping people from buying it. AP Jones Soda Co. founder and CEO Peter van Stolk shows off bottles of Turkey and Gravy Soda. Even the producers of the Thanksgiving-themed beverage at Jones Soda Co. were surprised by the demand. They sold out all 6,000 bottles online within about two hours last week. ''To be honest, we really didn't think so many people would want it,'' said a Michelle Whitehead, marketing assistant at the Seattle-based premium soda company that has a reputation for quirky flavors. Founder and CEO Peter van Stolk dreamed up the seasonal flavor on a lark, but admits he can't stomach an entire bottle. The liquid's ominous, murky brown color accurately warns consumers about the taste. The first sips bring a mix of sweet caramel and savory lard - and it's downhill from there. A limited number of Turkey & Gravy Sodas will be available in stores around Seattle and Olympia for the suggested retail price of 99 cents. A few entrepreneurs are selling theirs on eBay.com; by Tuesday, the bidding was up to $63 for a two-bottle set. Mary Turner, a radio DJ in Lansing, Mich., who is auctioning off a bottle for charity, has sampled the drink and warns that it's not for the faint of stomach: ''If you roasted a turkey and mashed potatoes, put it in a blender, left it out for three days and then poured it into a Jones bottle, you'd know exactly what this drink tastes like!'' The company, founded in 1996, plans to donate proceeds from sales of Turkey & Gravy Soda to the Toys for Tots charity, and van Stolk said he will personally match the donation. 11-25-03 1847EST