Arch City Chronicle News - Etc.

Overseas Cocktail Conversation: From Bush to Busch

Dave — 2008-07-17T14:11:24-04:00

Everyone looks for something to talk to an American about. They are tired of bashing George Bush and soon tire of asking whether Obama will really be our next president. What can I say except: �Every president makes his predecessor look terrible�? The world doesn�t understand our political system and believes that nothing and no one good can come of it.

Then there is talk of the dollar. That usually starts with the statement �I remember when�� the Ozzie dollar was sixty cents or the Swiss Franc was fifty cents or the Euro was one dollar or etc. Does that mean the world is surpassing the U.S. somehow or that the U.S. is stumbling economically. It opens the whole subprime conversation and the criticism of the US savings ethic.

More recently I received sympathetic questions about our flooding. From the lakes of Switzerland to the Thames to the Sydney Harbor people want to know whether my friends and family are well in these devastating floods. I mention that St. Louis was built on a bluff so though the arch steps are wet, my house and office are all secure.

But recently, Sydney was the theatre (note my spelling) for a series of conversations around the Busch family in St. Louis. Here was a business masking as a �family business� � a wolf in sheep�s clothing. Not like the family businesses elsewhere said an Australian but �merely a platform for a family to pretend it owned a business and glorify itself and its pals with shareholders� money.� An Australian in the liquor business told me that the Busch company was notorious in its lack of inspiration and direction. And experts on family business told me how the company was a model of what family businesses should not become.

I tried my best to defend the company. I pulled every phrase I could find in the Post-Dispatch, hurriedly read on-line every morning. I scoured the Herald Tribune for any patriotic defense of the independence of our mighty brewery. Nevertheless I could convince neither the experts on family businesses nor the Australian beer drinkers I met (who don�t like Bud at all). So I returned to Obama and conversations were a little less awkward.

Until one day the Australian business paper had a small article about how the Mayor of St. Louis and other public officials had taken a position opposing the merger of A-B. The article mentioned petitions and encouraging congress to take action. At my first meeting that morning, an Australian accountant cited the article with humor. �You have floods, you have pestilence, and your mayor wants to keep a brewery from foreign ownership.� �Why wouldn�t he welcome the Belgians, they�ll run the company much better than that tired old family� said the expert on family business.

That was several weeks ago. I have heard similar conversation in London and Geneva. St. Louis �back on the map.� I have always preferred single malt (remember when Macallan was purchased by the Japanese) and now describe myself as from �near Chicago� until the brew-ha-ha is past and we can return to talk about floods and pestilence and how much further the U.S. dollar goes in St. Louis than in Sydney.

- The St. Louis Traveler.

Conversations On The Streets Of St. Louis

Frank — 2008-07-15T21:40:13-04:00

Off The Record: Conversations on the streets of St. Louis

July 27, 2008

Tivoli Theatre (6350 Delmar Blvd.)

Where do we go from here? Boss Ent. and Lexis FIlms Studio presents a Bastain and Souza documentary: "Off the Record" premiering at the Tivoli on Sunday July 27th at 7pm. Join Cinema St. Louis and The St. Louis Argus in breaking the silence through conversations on the streets of St. Louis at this red carpet event. Find out what you can do to reconcile the St. Louis community.

Tickets available at the Tivoli box office or by contacting Larry Bastain at 314-413-3388.

Streetscape Mag Hosts Benefit

Frank — 2008-07-15T21:17:57-04:00

From the Summer Edition of Streetscape Magazine, we welcome back Ola Hawatmeh as one of our models for the second annual Urban Expressions show to benefit Connections to Success and Our Lady's Inn. Hawatmeh is the reigning Mrs. St. Louis and will soon compete for the title of Mrs. Missouri. Hawatmeh is also the founder of Mom Me Makeover, a local business offering an array of luxury services to makeover moms and others wanting a new lease on life. Hawatmeh said she created Mom Me Makeover to help mothers reconnect with themselves after so many years of carry for everyone else. The business then bloomed into makeovers for dads too, as well as prom goers, coworkers and others. A native New Yorker and journalist, Hawatmeh is a wife and mother of three.

Julie Piekarski Probst is the former Mousketeer and "Facts of Life" teen star who calls St. Charles home. You may also remember her from Taco Bell and the infamous "I'm a Pepper" Dr. Petter commercials. Today Probst is a proud wife and mother of three--her oldest just graduated high school. She will also model fashions from area boutiques to benefit the worthy women's charities.

Governmental dignitaries St. Charles City Mayor Patti York and Dardenne Prairie Mayor Pam Fogarty along with other local models, will grace the runway in new Fall fashions in this year's show.

Urban Expressions will be held at the New Town Chapel from 6 to 8 p.m., Thursday, September 18, 2008. A silent auction will be held prior to the fashion show. All moneys raised will go to Connections To Success and Our Lady's Inn. We are still in need of sponsors and items for the gift baskets to be auctioned off. For tickets to the show, visit www.streetscapemag.com. For more information, call Robin at 636-332-9408 or 636-357-4482.

Colbert on AB

Dave — 2008-07-15T16:35:57-04:00

It Would Only Increase the National Debt By $5 Trillion

Dave — 2008-07-11T14:16:50-04:00

Senior Bush administration officials are already considering a plan to have the government take over one or both of the companies and place them in a conservatorship if their problems worsen, according to people briefed about the plan.

Under a conservatorship, shares of Fannie and Freddie would be worth little or nothing, and any losses on mortgages they own or guarantee � which could be staggering � would be paid by taxpayers.

The government officials said that the administration had also considered calling for legislation that would offer an explicit government guarantee on the $5 trillion of debt owned or guaranteed by the companies. But that is a far less attractive option, they said, because it would effectively double the size of the public debt.

Building A Charter School

Dave — 2008-07-10T11:54:12-04:00

Follow along, on this blog, as a start-up charter school prepares for their 2009 opening.

BUD Losing PR War with InBev

Dave — 2008-07-07T10:28:17-04:00

Ad Age: The King of Beers is getting royally routed in the spin war surrounding its bid to remain independent.

Belgium-based, Brazilian-run InBev not only has largely succeeded in controlling the media's narrative of its $46 billion takeover bid for Anheuser-Busch, it's also managed to emerge looking more sympathetic in the process. That's no small feat for a foreign company with a reputation for savage cost cutting, which is laying siege to an iconic, family-run U.S. marketer associated with well-loved symbols such as the Clydesdales.

Helmsley's Charitable Trust - Billions for....

Dave — 2008-07-02T10:20:38-04:00

The two people who described the statement said Mrs. Helmsley signed it in 2003 to establish goals for the multibillion-dollar trust that would disburse assets after her death.

The first goal was to help indigent people, the second to provide for the care and welfare of dogs. A year later, they said, she deleted the first goal.

Savor Those Last 3 Words

Frank — 2008-07-01T19:51:17-04:00

Sparks will fly (in multiple ways!) when Third Degree Glass Factory and Union Avenue Opera come together for a special event July 18 and August 15!

Third Degree Glass Factory�s Third Friday event is getting new twist with guest appearances from Union Avenue Opera artists. Third Friday�s superb lineup of glass art by local artists, glass blowing and flameworking demonstrations, art exhibits, live music and on-site bar will be joined by live performances from UAO. Singers will present sneak peeks of two of the standout productions from Union Avenue Opera�s spectacular 2008 season: Donizetti�s charming romantic comedy, L�elisir d�amore, on July 18 and Bizet�s popular crowd-favorite, Carmen, on August 15. Performances will be staged with costumes to give spectators as full of an opera experience as possible!

All are invited to take part in these fantastic evenings on Fridays July 18 and August 15. The event runs from 6-10 p.m., making it a perfect opportunity to stop for a drink and a good time on any night out. Union Avenue Opera performances will be from approximately7-7:20 p.m., and ticket sales to UAO productions will also be offered. Third Degree Glass Factory is pleased to offer its Third Friday event free of charge!

Top Cop? Major Con

Matthew — 2008-07-01T00:41:32-04:00

East St. Louis may be getting some embarrassing attention for hiring police officers who have had their own run-ins with the law, but just down the road from St. Louis, in Gerald, Missouri, they hosted a supposed "federal agent" with no record at all. At least not with the feds.

Mr. Bill Jakob made waves in the town, kicking in doors without a warrant and busting drug offenders as a self-proclaimed federal agent. Well, instead of the sun setting on a cleaner town, this Agent Friday has left the town with egg on its face, several fired police officers and a string of court cases.

Mr. Jakob, a former truck company owner and security guard, apparently played the part to the hilt; crew cut, Crown Vic and all. However, either the town felt he was a gift to the town's efforts to battle meth, or they decided to look the other way.

Though smaller towns have had it rough trying to wrap their limited financial resources around the still-present meth scourge, and it is easy to understand how they may have taken him on faith, it merely took a local reporter from the�The Gasconade County Republican,�Linda Trest�one hour on the computer to get the skinny.

Yet despite the town's apparent need for more law enforcement help, it's more than a little troubling that no one raised any flags over Mr. Jakob's sole justification in his unlawful methods, that "I am from the government and I am here to help."

From the�AP: "At least 17 people have sued, including an elderly woman who was involuntarily committed to a psychiatric ward because she didn't cooperate with the police and a man who said Jakob held a gun to his head and threatened to shoot while the man's child watched."

I suppose after several years of being told "trust us, it's legal if we do it" this sort of thing shouldn't be entirely unexpected.

A Swim Suit You'll Be Hearing A Lot About

Dave — 2008-06-30T12:27:32-04:00

Boston Globe:

Swimmers using the new ultra-sleek full-length bodysuit have torn up the record book this year, producing 38 world marks in less than four months. Even more records are expected to be set by LZR users in the US trials, which begin today, and all of them could be wiped out at the Beijing Games in August.

"I think you'll see not only multiple world records broken, but also multiple swimmers breaking world records in an event," said US national team coach Mark Schubert.

LZR users appear to have such an advantage that Nike has allowed its contract swimmers, such as backstroker Aaron Peirsol and breaststroker Brendan Hansen, both world champions, to switch to Speedo for the trials to help them keep up with their rivals.

"It's a bit unprecedented," acknowledged Dean Stoyer, spokesman for Nike, which makes the competing Swift Amp'd. "But we want our athletes to be comfortable and prepared, and we don't want to get in the way of that."

While breakthrough designs are customary in Olympic years, the $550 Speedo suit, designed with the help of both NASA and fashion designer Comme des Garcons, has stirred controversy because its features seem to increase buoyancy. Italian coach Alberto Castagnetti said that the design amounted to "technological doping."

Channel 9 Launches Mortgage Crisis Initiative

Frank — 2008-06-27T17:32:38-04:00

KETC/Channel 9 is launching Facing the Mortgage Crisis, a community engagement initiative designed to connect area residents to trusted foreclosure prevention resources that can help. Building on its role as a public media organization, KETC has gathered expert input from a variety of community organizations and is working to connect those in need with those who can help.

Facing the Mortgage Crisis launches July 1. Every day for the next two months, Channel 9 will broadcast a series of 10 short, informative on-air spots, each one answering the questions most frequently asked by homeowners, such as, �How should I deal with collection notices?� �Can I get money to help make a payment?� and �How long do I have before I lose my house?� The magazine series Living St. Louis recently began running the first of eight segments about the impact of the crisis locally. Among the stories is how foreclosures are affecting the city of Pagedale and other municipalities in St. Louis and Jefferson counties; how the FBI is fighting mortgage fraud; and a foreclosure-fighting Granite City attorney who must deal with vastly different laws in Missouri and Illinois.

On July 15 and 22 at 7:00 p.m., KETC producer Ruth Ezell hosts two, hour-long in-depth specials, also called Facing the Mortgage Crisis. The first program explores the issues closest to homeowners who are threatened with foreclosure, including how to negotiate with the lender if you�re in danger of missing payments, how to handle phone calls and notices from lenders, how to keep track of pertinent paperwork, and when to seek assistance. The second show deals with issues of neighborhood stabilization in communities where homes have been foreclosed. Specialists from nonprofit organizations will be on hand for both programs to guide viewers through the many aspects of these issues related to the mortgage crisis. The second half hour of each program will be devoted to viewer calls and e-mail. E-mailed questions may be submitted in advance at mortgage@ketc.org. The July 15 program will be rebroadcast on July 17 at 3:00 a.m. The July 22 program will re-air on July 27 at 2:00 p.m.

In addition to the on-air components of the Facing the Mortgage Crisis initiative, residents can find resources on KETC�s Facing the Mortgage Crisis Web site at www.ketc.org. The easy-to-navigate site contains all of the information presented on-air, including the toll-free phone number for help: 800-427-4626. The number connects callers directly to the United Way�s 2-1-1 service, where trained staff are on duty 24 hours a day to provide assistance. More information about the mortgage crisis can be found on the Web site of project collaborator St. Louis Beacon (www.stlbeacon.org). KETC is mobilizing the community around Facing the Mortgage Crisis via e-mails and flyers distributed throughout the region to churches, YMCAs, community centers, libraries and neighborhood associations.

Assisting KETC with Facing the Mortgage Crisis is United Way of Greater St. Louis, Acorn, Better Family Life, Beyond Housing, Catholic Charities, Doorways, Enterprise Community Partners, Inc., The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Home Team Realty, International Institute of St. Louis, Land of Lincoln Legal Services, Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, NeighborWorks America, Regional Housing and Community Development Alliance, St. Louis Beacon, St. Louis County Planning Department, St. Louis Public Library, the Salvation Army-Midland Division, and Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, Inc.

Energy Drink News: Booty Sweat, Tilt

Dave — 2008-06-27T12:08:28-04:00

Succumbing to pressure from state attorneys general and activists, Anheuser-Busch will stop selling alcoholic energy drinks -- and put rivals that still market them in an awkward position.

and

Before the start of a recent press screening for Ben Stiller's forthcoming action comedy "Tropic Thunder," a fake, over-the-top commercial for a fictitious energy drink called Booty Sweat appears, provoking great hilarity from the industry crowd in attendance.

Who Killed the Wristwatch?

Dave — 2008-06-26T13:11:36-04:00

We all know who killed the radio star, but the wristwatch? The cellphone.

Defending Detainees

Dave — 2008-06-25T13:14:56-04:00

Boston Globe: The Wilmer Hale law firm, one of the largest and most respected in Boston, has a reputation for championing unpopular causes: President Nixon during impeachment. The US Army during the McCarthy hearings. Even defending serial killer Ted Bundy.

But the firm's past efforts pale in comparison with the free legal assistance that it has given to six Algerian terrorist suspects held without charge at Guantanamo Bay. Since 2004, lawyers with the firm have provided 35,448 billable hours of legal help, worth an estimated $17 million, making this case the largest pro bono effort in the 90-year history of the firm.

I'm No Tennis Coach But..

Dave — 2008-06-22T15:56:39-04:00

Maybe spend a little more time on ground-stokes, a little less on picking out the wardrobe?

Left Bank Books Looking DT

Dave — 2008-06-20T01:16:11-04:00

From Biz Journal: Left Bank Books, a long-time fixture in the Central West End, has signed a letter of intent to open a satellite location in downtown St. Louis.

The independently owned bookseller plans to lease 5,500 square feet of space on the ground floor of a building at 321 N. 10th Street, across the street from the newly rehabbed Syndicate building at 10th and Olive.

Gas Hole

Frank — 2008-06-18T09:56:43-04:00

Gas Hole: a documentary about Gas Prices and the Future of Alternative Fuel

June 20, 2008 - June 22, 2008

Hi-Pointe Theatre (1005 McCauseland Ave.)

Back by popular demand, the Hi-Pointe Theatre will be showing Gas Hole: a new documentary film about the history of oil prices and the future of alternative fuel. Runs from June 20 to June 22. Tickets can be purchased at www.stlouisgreen.com or at the door of the theater. Proceeds benefit www.stlouisgreen.com and St. Louis Regional Clean Cities

stlouisgreen.com

Latest A-B news from around the web

Matthew — 2008-06-18T07:45:07-04:00

Here's a few recent articles looking at the�now potentially inevitable�takeover of A-B. The most intriguing are unconfirmed reports that Warren Buffett is supporting the deal. If the Yoda of the investment world backs the buyout, it's likely shareholder support for the Busch family will evaporate.�

Potential purchase of Modelo still out there. A-B may purchase Modelo in a move to try and put the company out of the reach, financially, of InBev.�

A-B warned against the Modelo deal by InBev.�

InBev will likely need to up its offer from $65 to $70 a share.�

Missouri Governor Matt Blunt and Senator Kit Bond ask for FTC to intervene in the deal. Analysts quoted in the article doubt any action forthcoming because A-B is already the sole distributor of InBev products in the United States.

McDonald's Jared

Dave — 2008-06-17T11:11:58-04:00

How's this for turning an old fast-food story on its head: Man eats only McDonald's for six months and loses weight. Chris Coleson, a Richmond, Va., businessman, ate salads, wraps, apple-walnut salads and the occasional cheeseburger since last December and lost 86 pounds.

Chris Coleson started at 281 pounds (as seen here in a 'before' photo) and is now just 10 pounds from his goal of 185.