(Untitled)- October 14, 2004 CEO Confidence in Economy Weakens --------------------From ReutersOctober 14 2004Confidence among chief executives in the U.S. economy slipped for the second straight quarter, private research firm the Conference Board said Wednesday. Is it possible they know something the administration isn't telling us The complete article can be viewed at:http:www.latimes.combusinessla-fi-econ14oct14,1,3377936.storycoll=la-headlines-business Visit Latimes.com at http:www.latimes.comhttp://blogs.salon.com/0004219/2004/10/14.html#a10 (Untitled)- October 14, 2004 Halliburton's Interests Assisted by White House --------------------The administration has lent support to a lucrative drilling technique. Some in the EPA consider it an environmental concern.By Tom Hamburger and Alan C. MillerTimes Staff WritersOctober 14 2004WASHINGTON &151; Over the last four years, the Bush administration and Vice President Dick Cheney's office have backed a series of measures favoring a drilling technique developed by Halliburton Co., Cheney's former employer. (And...http://blogs.salon.com/0004219/2004/10/14.html#a9 (Untitled)- October 14, 2004 Regulators Delay Rule on Options --------------------By Kathy M. Kristof and Joseph MennTimes Staff WritersOctober 14 2004Bowing to corporate pressure spearheaded by Silicon Valley, accounting regulators voted Wednesday to delay implementing a rule that would force companies to deduct from their earnings the cost of stock options given to employees. The regulators bow to the corporate lobbyists again. If the options aren't accounted for, the stock price is inflated. The public...http://blogs.salon.com/0004219/2004/10/14.html#a8 (Untitled)- October 13, 2004 From The Northwest Herald Halliburton under fire PARIS &150; A widening investigation has implicated some of the world's largest oil services companies in an alleged scheme to bribe Nigerian officials to win $5.3 billion in contracts to build a natural gas complex in the African country. As details of the case unfolded, one of the key players, Houston-based Halliburton Co., has claimed that the questionable conduct occurred almost entirely before it became a partner in the multinational...http://blogs.salon.com/0004219/2004/10/13.html#a7 (Untitled)- October 12, 2004 Travel Group asks Congress to protect business travel " A group representing business travelers is expected to ask Congress today to draft plans in the event that several major airlines are forced to liquidate," According to the New York Times. How come there are no groups asking congress to protect emergency rooms from shutting down My answer: there is no organized lobby for people who are about to need emergency room treatment. What's your answerhttp://blogs.salon.com/0004219/2004/10/12.html#a6 (Untitled)- October 12, 2004 More Oil News The New York Times reported today that "Venezuela's energy minister said on Monday that the country's decision to end a tax holiday on the four heavy-crude upgrading projects in the country's vast Orinoco Belt would not drive those companies away. On Sunday, President Hugo Chávez announced on his weekly TV and radio broadcast that he would immediately raise royalties on the projects to 16.6 percent from 1 percent. Rafael Ramírez, the energy minister, defended that...http://blogs.salon.com/0004219/2004/10/12.html#a5 (Untitled)- October 12, 2004 Merrill Lawyer Disliked Barge Deal - Associated Press, Oct. 12 - An in-house Merrill Lynch & Co. lawyer didn't support the brokerage's harried $7 million investment in Enron Corp.-owned barges at the end of 1999 and would have blocked it had she known of an alleged verbal promise to buy back that interest within six months, she testified Tuesday. Maybe she was thinking about the old saw attributed to Sam Goldwyn: "A verbal contract isn't worth the paper it's written on." ...http://blogs.salon.com/0004219/2004/10/12.html#a4 (Untitled)- October 12, 2004 Is global warming responsible for the four hurricanes that struck Florida this year What's your opinion Are you glad you don't live in Floridahttp://blogs.salon.com/0004219/2004/10/12.html#a3 (Untitled)- October 12, 2004 Oil Prices Retreat Crude oil prices retreated today after briefly hitting $54bbl. "While oil prices are more than 80 percent higher than a year ago, they are still more than $27 below the peak inflation-adjusted price reached in 1981.", according to an associated press article reported in Yahoo Finance. "Underlying daily jitters is that excess available output is scant, with global production capacity only about 1 percent above the daily demand." Hurricanes Cut Florida Orange Production..http://blogs.salon.com/0004219/2004/10/12.html#a2 (Untitled)- October 12, 2004 Dept. of Corporate Giveaways Let&146;s have a show of hands. How many think the tobacco industry should get a payoff of $10 billion Well, Congress just voted to spend $10 billion of your money, folks&150; to pay off the tobacco growers. Billions for tobacco, but not one cent for ... take your pick: education, healthcare, whatever. It was part of a last minute, rush rush $136 billion corporate tax reduction bill favored by the Bush administration, highly controversial because of the huge...http://blogs.salon.com/0004219/2004/10/12.html#a1 |