mspart

Never said demise. But I ask you the same I asked of Bob. Would you be praying for their continued great health? Yeah Right! I overstated. It doesn't have to be an injury, but something that keeps them from competing. Else why have the #3 spot on the team? Why do they have such a position on the team? You tell me. I know, they have the #3 guy there because that guy doesn't want to be on the big stage. Not at all. Nope, he's hoping he never had to go there. Content to be in the shadows. mspart

Would you be praying for their continued great health? Yeah Right! I overstated. It doesn't have to be an injury, but something that keeps them from competing. Else why have the #3 spot on the team? Why do they have such a position on the team? You tell me. mspart

https://finance.yahoo.com/m/b9550b18-9333-3928-8069-65bbd018c992/bud-light-boycott-already.html Another group is getting burned by Anheuser-Busch's (BUD) controversial Bud Light promotion: Its investors. But analysts insist the sting of the boycott on the company's popular beer will dissipate. The market value of Anheuser-Busch InBev, whose fourth bestselling brand is Bud Light, dropped $15.7 billion since April 1, based on a conversion to U.S. dollars by Investor's Business Daily using data from S&P Global Market Intelligence. That's the day Dylan Mulvaney, a TikTok influencer and transgender woman, pitched the Bud Light brand during the NCAA March Madness tournament. Meanwhile, the other major publicly traded global beer brands have added $3.2 billion in market value during the same time. The Bud Light backlash to the promotion was almost instantaneous. Conservative consumers called for a boycott of the beer. Bud Light sales are down more than 23% as of the week ended on May 6, said Jared Dinges, beverage analyst at JPMorgan Chase in a note to clients Tuesday, citing data from NielsenIQ. "We believe there is a subset of American consumers who will not drink a Bud Light for the foreseeable future," Dinges said. "We believe a 12% to 13% volume decline on an annualized basis would be a reasonable assumption." Bud Light Brouhaha Anheuser-Busch's stock shows just how significant the boycott has been. With shares down 11.9% since April 1, the company's investors are suffering while most other beer companies are trending higher. The biggest winner from the Bud Light situation is Molson Coors Beverage (TAP). Shares are up more than 20% from April 1. That's added more than $2.2 billion in market value to the stock. Overseas brands are also benefiting. "Shares (Of Anheuser-Busch) have underperformed EU Beer peers by 15% since the start of April," Dinges said. "We believe this is due to U.S. uncertainty, as investor focus has shifted squarely to the potential impact from the Bud Light controversy." Analysts Not Worried Damage to Anheuser-Busch's business isn't just swift, but significant. But analysts think the sell-off is overdone. While Anheuser-Busch is based in Belgium, the U.S. is its largest source of revenue accounting for 25% of the total in 2022, Dinges said. And Bud Light was the company's fourth bestselling beer, accounting for 7% of volume sold in 2022. It only trails Budweiser at 11%, Corona at 8% and Brahma at 7%. And the damage from the boycotts is lasting. JPMorgan thinks U.S. beer volumes for Anheuser-Busch will drop by 12% this year and knock down earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization by 23%. "We do not expect the lost sales to be recovered in fiscal year 2024," Dinges said. But Dinges still sees upside in the shares. His price target on the U.S. ADR shares is 76 a share. That would mark 29% upside to Tuesday's close. And he's not alone. Analysts' average target price is 73 a share. And analysts still think the company will maintain 9.6% long-term growth. Anheuser-Busch's adjusted earnings per share is seen shrinking less than 1% this year and growing again in 2024 by 18%. How can analysts be so bullish on the stock when the business is softening? Simple. "This appears priced-in," Dinges said. Investors pushed the stock down so much they're pricing in a 45% drop in earnings before interest and taxes. But Dinges says the company's cash flow is only likely to fall by 4%. The 26% drop in U.S. cash flow is offset by "upgrades in the rest of the business." "We believe risk-reward is favorable from here," he said. So what did I get wrong? AB lost value to the amount of close to 16 Billion. Yes, for sure this major loss is all priced in, ha ha. mspart

https://finance.yahoo.com/m/b9550b18-9333-3928-8069-65bbd018c992/bud-light-boycott-already.html Bud Light Boycott Already Costs Anheuser-Busch $15.7 Billion Again, this will be a case study in colleges for years to come of what not to do. Perhaps Target is following suit. mspart

I would like to be the first to say that I hope your prediction is wrong. I hope they all show up. That's just me being greedy I know. I think the money is short sighted as a main viewpoint on this. You make #3 then you can hope and pray the other two guys get hurt and you are up!!! Not so much if you don't show up. mspart

Nashon beat ADS 10-0, and he beat Fix 12-4. At lest Fix scored on Nashon. Based on this I say Fix beats ADS. We all know how that works. mspart

So those are interesting stats. Her are Biden's numbers. If 400k died because of Trump, then 1,127,152-400k died because of Biden. That's 727,152 that died because of Biden. That's the same metric you are using. https://covid19.who.int/region/amro/country/us Official estimates from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) show that, since January 2021, legislation signed by President Biden has set in motion a record $3.37 trillion in new spending, surpassing Trump's previous record of $3.28 trillion during the 116th Congress. https://reason.com/2022/11/29/bidens-spending-spree-is-unprecedented/ In 2021, Biden introduced a 6.1 Trillion dollar budget. So that's roughly a 50% increase in spending over the 2021 budget. https://www.thebalancemoney.com/u-s-federal-budget-breakdown-3305789 As noted, the inflation rate was stable between 2008-20202 with very near 0% interest rates. Obviously that did not cause the inflation you are speaking of. You trying to say Trump is bad, only shows that Biden is worse. Inflation started with the massive spending increases Biden introduced immediately after taking office. Inflation was tamed before that. It is such good news that inflation is now down from the highs but still way higher than it was before. Good job Mike. You made a point you didn't think you were making. mspart

Well, he went to WTTs. He took 2nd. He must be healed up. At least enough to fight at final X if he had prevailed. Plus, I'm thinking he can't stand the thought of Austin DeSanto being ahead of him on the chart. But I might have it all wrong. I don't like ADS but I have to admit he has been doing much better on the FS circuit than I would have given him credit for. I do admire his tenacious attitude, just not his vindictive attitude. I hope he has left that behind. mspart

Why do you say this Bob? mspart

All in an effort to keep Zahid out? Seems kind of like a weird effort for anyone to do. If Brooks did that, then he gives up his Final X spot and Zahid could go to WTT at 86 and Brooks would be at 92. I don't think it would work out well, just thinking out loud. Brooks knows he was gunning for Taylor. Zahid did a Taylor by moving weight classes. Smart move as it turns out. He'll have another shot now at getting on the team. Better to be on the team than not. mspart

So I take it by this that we will see Daton vs DeSanto at Final X. That will hopefully be a barburner of a match!! mspart

Are you saying that Daton has declined to wrestle for true third? This is the only reference to that that I have seen on this thread, which is actually germane to the topic. I just looked at themat.com and it doesn't say anything about it. mspart

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/ron-desantis-presidential-campaign-twitter-problems-rcna86123 A much-anticipated Twitter event in which Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis planned to announce his 2024 Republican presidential bid was repeatedly disrupted Wednesday when Twitter's servers apparently could not handle the surge in traffic. We've been complaining about this for years with Flo. You would think Twitter would be up to the task. Maybe not. Musk must either be ready to roll some heads or get more server capacity. mspart

These are some good matchups. Fix-DeSanto, that will be good unless those on here saying Fix is HEW are correct. Will he have any fight in him? That remains to be seen. Great matchup. This will certainly liven up the event. mspart

14th Amendment was passed as a result of the civil war soon after that war. It is dealing with effects from that war. But because it is now part of the Constitution, it is not limited to civil war times or eras. It still applies to our condition today. Hence the idea that the 14th Amendment can be used to solve the debt ceiling crisis. Here are the pertinent passages from the amendment. Section 4. The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any state shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void. For those so inclined, explain how this passage can be used to resolve the debt crisis we are currently heading towards or explain how it cannot be used. I am confused about the use of this. I think the calculus is that they can say it, do an executive order and make it happen before SCOTUS says they can't. They already made it happen which is how Biden is hoping to do the student debt relief. It is a dirty trick that should not be used. It makes the President both Legislative and Executive, which is not a good thing for a democracy or republic. I'm inclined to disagree with the use of the 14th amendment for the debt ceiling purpose but don't have a strong opinion either way on this one. I know it has been cited that scholars disagree on using this but the admin seems to like it. Looking to learn from all you wrestling/constitutional experts out there!! mspart

You gotta admire commitment, up to a point. mspart

I don't know if Uber/Lyft drivers are getting held up or they are doing the holding up. But this seems like a solution looking for a problem. mspart

Uber and Lyft have had problems. But to screen drivers that are armed is problematic I would think. Someone bad gets thru and that would be the end of that service. mspart

It is tremendous for sure. I would have to say this is the lineup with the best results ever. mspart

First, the House has presented a bill to the Senate. It is not blackmail as you suggest, it is reducing spending that got us in the inflation trouble we are in, and it is increasing the debt limit. That is a compromise position. That is what democracy is about. The previous Congress authorized that spending and threw us into massive inflation. The current Congress, a correction by the voters, wants to reduce that spending. Effectively that is what the voters voted for is it not? https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/23/politics/cnn-poll-debt-ceiling-increase-spending-cuts/index.html Demonstrably so. Which is why Biden decided to "negotiate" but he is not doing much to move the ball to completion. What is morally and ethically bankrupt is having put us in this position in the first place. Frankly, the D's and Rs should take full responsibility with that from 2001 and on. The R's are taking a stand against runaway spending right now, the D's are saying that is blackmail. Who is morally and unethical? A proposal that offers fiscal discipline later for relief now, will never materialize later. It never does. No one that is anyone in constitutional law expertise circles thinks the 14th amendment being bandied about is a solution. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/05/23/debt-limit-solution-14th-amendment/ If you think the Rs are negotiating in bad faith by saying debt ceiling rise comes with spending reductions, let's look at the D's position. No change to spending and a rise in the debt ceiling - period. And they are holding to that apparently trying to put the Rs in the hot seat. The R's have a plan to resolve this, the D's don't. I understand there are different ways to look at this, but that is how I look at this. Compromise is the art of democracy. So which side is on the side of democracy in this case? We can all decide. Those on the left that say our democracy is in danger need to look inside themselves and ask tough questions, because it is clear in my opinion. mspart

What would be the problem of adopting 2019 levels of spending? That should bring the deficit way down with ability to pay off some of the debt. What we spend today, revenue catches up with in a few years. We just need to readjust. mspart

The House has a plan all ready to go. mspart

Yes, and yes. mspart

Yes, this is what I have been thinking. As long as the debt is serviced, we don't default, and the feds should have plenty of cash to handle that. mspart

Either that or he is just a freak of nature. Kudos for him to keep going. mspart