Law.com | Price to PepsiCo for Not Being in Court: $1.26 Billion

EDT, Wednesday October 28, 2009 - What's the cost of not showing up to court? For PepsiCo Inc., it's a $1.26 billion default judgment. A Wisconsin state court socked the company with the monster award in a case alleging that PepsiCo stole the idea to bottle and sell purified water from two Wisconsin men.

Now the company is scrambling to salvage the situation. The damages award was handed down on Sept. 30. PepsiCo filed motions to vacate the order and dismiss the claims on Oct. 13, saying it wasn't even aware of the lawsuit until Oct. 6.

The litigation began in April when Charles Joyce and James Voigt sued the soft drink maker and two of its distributors, alleging they had misappropriated trade secrets from confidential discussions the plaintiffs had with the distributors in 1981 about selling purified water. The information was illicitly passed to PepsiCo, which used it to develop and sell Aquafina bottled water, the plaintiffs allege in the case filed in the Circuit Court of Jefferson County before Judge Jacqueline Erwin.... (FULL STORY)

TheGlobeAndMail.com | Dollar's drop brings in billions for Coke - Warren Buffett favors Coke over Pepsi - he owns the most of any investor

The 14-month decline in the U.S. dollar against major currencies is scary for Americans. The U.S. has always been proud of a strong currency, and a depreciating dollar makes everything we import more expensive. While it makes our exports more attractive, goods produced here and sold abroad account for a small part of the economy.

For Coca-Cola (KO-N54.790.140.26%), however, the falling dollar helps juice earnings. In the footnotes of its second-quarter regulatory filings, Atlanta-based Coke says it made an extra $1.1-billion (U.S.) abroad due to currency translations. To put that in perspective, Coke posted net income of $2.05 billion during the quarter. (The currency gain is theoretical, in that the company hasn't realized it on its income statement.)

The foreign-currency variable highlights a factor in Coke's business model that should serve the company well. International diversification has made the company resilient in the face of a weak American economy.

Besides currency-translation adjustments, Coke's investments in bottlers around the world have performed well. Excluding Coca-Cola Enterprises, bottling investments for the company have been assigned a fair value of more than $3-billion above the carrying value, the worth of an asset according to its balance-sheet account balance. The network has diversified Coke's revenue streams, making North America just another competitive front.

North America accounts for more than a quarter of revenue, only surpassed by bottling income, but it makes up only 19% of operating income, less than the European Union, Pacific region and Latin America do. Pepsi, Coke's archrival, derives more than half of revenue and operating income from the U.S. Billionaire investor Warren Buffett favors Coke over Pepsi, incidentally. He owns 8.6% of the company, the most of any investor and about the same as the combined holdings of Vanguard, Fidelity and State Street(STT Quote). FULL STORY

Lawyers and Settlements | Tyson Foods Chicken Whistleblower

Meanwhile Tyson was hit with another suit filed in the same court on behalf of customers accusing Tyson of consumer fraud, breach of express warranty, and unjust enrichment.

"I believe the federal government is getting tired of Tyson Foods doing what it wants to do and have begun to be very harsh against Tyson Foods," adds Adams, thankful the US District Judge granted his petition against Tyson Foods and his lawsuit was filed August 4, 2009.........

Xinhuanet.com | GM to drop corporate logo from vehicles

FRANCE: Coca-Cola Enterprises chief commits suicide

http://www.just-drinks.com/article.aspx?id=98261

TheNational.ae | A nuclear accord between the US and UAE was strongly endorsed by the US commerce secretary Gary Locke

Related:

Obama Admin Affirms Support for US-UAE Nuclear Cooperation Wall Street Journal

BigSkyBusiness.com | Trade Symposium on World Trade in Bozeman, Wyoming

Thursday, 20 August 2009 16:03

On Sept. 3, Prospera Business Network, Export-Import Bank of the United States, U.S. Commercial Service, Small Business Administration (SBA), Montana World Trade Center, U.S. Export Assistance Center and Montana Manufacturing Extension Center will host a trade symposium on "Learning How to Finance Sales to Foreign Buyers." Attendees will discover how to use trade finance tools to win international sales and grow business. The trade and export finance professionals will provide an overview of Export-Import Bank, SBA and private sector trade finance and insurance tools that can be used to enter new markets, minimize risks, improve cash flow and effectively ship more product to market.

This event will be held on Thursday, Sept. 3 at the Montana Manufacturing Extension Center, 2310 University Way, Bldg. 2, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. 　Cost is $39 and includes breakfast and materials. View event flyer at www.ProsperaBusinessNetwork.org. Registration is required at www.exim.gov/seminars. For questions, contact Amanda Schultz, Prospera Business Network, at (406) 587-3113.

Prospera Business Network is a private, non-profit, member-supported economic development organization in southwestern Montana. Originally established in 1985 as the Gallatin Development Corporation, Prospera plays a leading role in economic development serving a region that is one of the fastest growing economic areas in the northern Rocky Mountains. Prospera is dedicated to encouraging and supporting business expansion, retention and relocation by providing access to business consulting, financing, professional development and economic research. For more information, visit ProsperaBusinessNetwork.org or call (406) 587-3113.　

Shanghai GM April sales up 35% to 55,246 units in mainland China - GM's Joint Venture with China

The following is a news item from Drudge Report this morning, May 9, 2009.

After bailout, GM to move jobs overseas....

A quick Google news search for "Shanghai GM" brings forth over 1500 news articles such as the above providing information that GM in China is experiencing sales up 35%.

A little use of my computer's search engine and I can see that: General Motors is the best selling foreign auto maker in China.

You are fragmented when what you say, think, feel and do ... speak different messages

For example, you would expose being fragmented by saying you are "fine" while your house is being foreclosed upon and just lost your job. There is some definite fragmentation with our politicians using US taxpayers to bail out GM while at the same time GM marriage in mainland China is smelling financially very sweet. Americans go in debt for a huge corporation while Chinese reap huge financial benefits from this same corporation due to a Joint Venture (marriage in the land inhabited by corporations):

Shanghai General Motors Company Limited (Shanghai GM) is a joint venture between General Motors and Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC). Shanghai GM manufactures and sells automobiles in mainland China.

Joint Venture 101:

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Two heads are better than one. United we stand.

A herd of out-of-control politicians in Washington DC giving money to corporations comes under my own label as WACKO ... let alone a corporation that is thriving in its marriage across the Pacific ocean in China.

It was way back in the late 1970's that I personally began to view corporations as unnatural entities. About that time my 4 young children were put on a PROPERTY settlement agreement in my divorce proceedings from their father, however, corporations were seen as PERSONS by the eyes of the law. My children were seen as PROPERTY - yet a corporation was seen legally as a PERSON. Take your time and think about it.

During that same period of time as I woke up to children as property and corporations as persons, I was also essentially tossed out of a Bible Study group because of my insistence that a Beast, as in Revelations - is an unnatural entity - very descriptive of corporations. Having been a Registered Abstracter of real estate titles - property was a word both in my active and passive vocabulary base. I had become aware of the vast amount of real estate owned by main stream churches with their headquarters located outside the Midwestern state I lived in.

Didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out how vast amounts of real estate within a particular county that isn't being taxed has the result of making the rest of those paying taxes pick up the bill for what such mainstream church got out of paying. On top of getting out of assisting in the tax burden, revenues from huge chunks of good farm lands owned by churches was NOT retained locally, but rather this yearly farm revenue moved directly out of my state. Mainstream churches were sucking out farm revenue from the state like a vacuum cleaner plus sticking local people living in those counties with higher tax bills. And, year and after year elderly people kept leaving their farm lands to their church no doubt falsely thinking it was being given to their "local church" - not into the bank accounts and balance sheets of some corporate headquarters out of their state.

Back in the late 1970's during the born again revolution really beginning, I wasn't making any sense how a church could describe themselves as the body of Christ when they are incorporated. I haven't make a good sheeple now for decades!

It is 2009 and I merely look at the United States as a corporation with its headquarters in Washington, District of Columbia - another "off-shore" corporation so to speak since its headquarters is outside the boundaries of the 50 states, i.e., District of Columbia. It is only my own childish thinking if I presumed those in the District of Columbia were looking out for the best interest of those residing in the 50 states.

The tons of gold owned by those in the City of London also discloses the results of humans feeding the species of beasts that may be termed banking corporations.

The City is not one of the 32 London boroughs. It is governed by the City of London Corporation, which has some unusual responsibilities for a local authority, such as being the police authority for the City. It also has responsibilities and ownerships beyond the City's boundaries..

Decades have now passed since my own awakening to the beasts of corporate entities and I have been saying for years that as long as people are comfortable they will remain asleep to the real threat imposed by corporations fashioned by the words of attorneys. The adolescent phase of cognitive development has been described as self-absorption with awareness focusing upon self comfort and stimulation - much like addictive cognition.

Adults are to carry the task of attending to the children - and if children are seen by the laws of this land as property while corporations are seen as persons - investigation is needed into those responsible for such laws.