Oil Company Profits Rise

While oil company profits are rising, the outlook is still cautious. Record crude prices this summer are translating into huge profits as BP and Occidental Petroleum showed on Tuesday. However, some energy companies are bracing for tougher times, keeping a closer tab on cash and cutting spending.

Oil producers are coming off a quarter during which crude prices reached an all-time high of $147.27. However, prices have since tumbled more than 50% and the global economic malaise has raised questions about energy demand at least into 2009.

Despite a 71% jump in third quarter profit, Occidental Petroleum said Tuesday that it likely would not increase capital spending next year from its current $4.7 billion level. refiner Valero Energy Corp., which also reported July-September results on tuesday, said it was scaling back spending by 33% this year and cutting its 2009 budget.

I think I heard on the news that ExxonMobile had made phenomenal profits such as $41 billion and paid $14.5 billion in taxes in 2007, the highest in corporate history on both categories. It is on track to smash both of those records for 2008.

Baking Pies

The other day my daughter was telling me about all the homemade food she was making for her sons in college. When she started telling me that, it got me excited to do more home cooking myself. She said she had made a delicious lemon meringue pie but needed the recipe for the meringue. Since I have a "never fail" recipe, it was my turn to help her out and email her the recipe. The pie turned out beautiful as you can see here and I wish we could have been there to get a little slice of it. It looks so very good.

The last pie I made was cherry and my husband said that was not his favorite. He loves my peach pies and I have some blueberry mix in the cupboard and just might make that one next. Doesn't that sound good?

Online Degree

When you are looking for a university to get your degree, I am sure you have several qualifications in mind for that university. Therefore, if you are planning on getting an online degree then you should consider Capella University. They are one of the finest online universities serving over 23,400 students in 45 countries and 50 states. They are fully accredited and furnish a full line of undergraduate and graduate degrees in a great many subjects. Not only that, but they produce regular Podcasts by faculty and staff, as well as, students telling you about their experiences at Capella. Their latest Podcast is in regard to literacy and reading and if this is a subject you are interested in, you will want to get a copy. Check out their website and I feel you will be excited at enrolling with them.

This post is based on information provided by Blogitive. For more information, please visit Blogitive. com.

Our Little Scarecrow

This little guy is our great grandson, Emry. He lives in Texas but we get these cute pictures of him over the internet. It is really neat. The little ones are so much fun because everything is new and exciting for them. They have such a big world ahead of them. They can play with a fancy new toy or a cardbox and be just as happy crawling in and out of the box.

Our children were just the same. They got all excited on their birthdays. I don't think it was so much what they got as how many gifts they had to open. And I always tried to bake them a cake in a shape like a teddy bear, butterfly, fish or something different and that was a great deal of fun for me. I had a recipe book for "cutup cakes" and you could make almost anything if you had the patience.

Israel's Prime Minister - Designate

Tzipi Livni has set an ultimatum. She says either she will have a new government ready by Sunday or she will call for early elections. She has spoken with Israeli President Shimon Peres and informed him of her decision. Livni still has 10 more days to put together a parliamentary majority, however she is faced with the stiff demands from potential coalition partners who have seemed to have opted to forcing their hands.

An early election could prevent Livni from becoming Israel's first female prime minister in more than 30 years. According to opinion polls, indications that the hawkish Likud party would sweep to power if new elections were held. I don't know just what the implications of this mean to Israel's people.

Osteoporosis

My husband and I have both had a bone density test and been diagnosed with osteoporosis. We have been on prescription medicine for 3 years for myself and a little over 2 years for my husband. Every Saturday morning we would have to get up and take this pill on an empty stomach with a full glass of water and then make sure you didn't lay down again but stand up or stay in an upright sitting position for 30 minutes.

This June my husband had his bone density test and the doctor prescribed an injection that would last for one year. It is called Reclast. He thinks it is just great not to have to take that pill every Saturday morning and wait for his coffee for 30 minutes.

I didn't really mind it but I am going for my bone density test tomorrow and then I will also get the injection of Reclast. It will save a great deal yearly on buying the prescription pills we took once a week. I will be glad of that. It is a miracle to me how it works to keep your bones stronger for a whole year. Isn't it amazing what medicine comes up with?

Microsoft Doing Well

Microsoft Corp. said on Thursday that its fiscal first quarter profit edged up 2 percent. This was brought about by corporate customers renewing licenses for servers and other business programs. Microsoft's guidance for the current quarter was weaker than Wall Street was expecting, however, shares rose in extended trading following this report.

That is a sign that investors had been worried it would be worse. You can't blame them with everything else seemingly going down the tube with the Dow taking a mighty fall. I don't have any shares right now and glad of it but wish I had a bunch of money because now is the time to buy those stocks of good companies that are way down. There is money to be made down the line.

Strictly Health

When you are on a diet, you usually go for the best diet pills you can find. Of course, you exercise and try to eat the right things for quick weight loss but it does not always work by itself. Now you can check into this very informative website http://www.weightlossguide.com for healthy weight loss information that was discovered and designed by just one woman who knows what she is talking about. ou can get a Free Weight-Loss Guide here too.

Texas Death Row Steps Up Executions

In Texas, the crowd in death row is thinning out. That is what they need to do in California where inmates have been on death row as long as 19 years. In the Texas Department of Criminal Justice's so called "death watch" cells, a dozen condemned inmates are being executed at a scheduled rate of two a week over six weeks.

I am totally for the death penalty as it is according to the Bible. People often quote only the first verse about vengence is mine says the Lord, and they don't continue on to read that if a man takes a man's life, he shall give up his own. That is capital punishment.

The week of October 13, two were executed. Two were scheduled for this week and two more the week after that. Then six more in November, adding to Texas' standing as the nation's most active death penalty state. I say good for them. I am all for it. There are some people who feel sorry for the poor condemned man while totally forgetting those they killed. What about them?

Job Losses Up - Worst is Ahead

Unemployment claims are well into recession territory. They are rising even faster than expected. Thursday, leading economists warned that the worst is yet to come.

According to the Labor Department, new applications for unemployment insurance rose 15,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 478,000. This was above the analysts' estimates of 470,000. It is considered a sign of recession when jobless claims get about 400,000.

Oil Rises Again

Even before OPEC met on production cuts, the price of oil went up above $67 a barrel. I suppose it is being raised at the gas stations all over right now. If they even think there will be less or more expensive oil, they raise the price of gas around here. I think it is disgusting. The national average was $2.82 but it is $2.39 here and some places even below $2. It has been wonderful but we know it won't last.

We are headed to a larger town tonight and know they will have the best gas prices, so will fill up at Wal-Mart for the best deal in that town. We can save over 40 cents a gallon and we don't have to make a special trip to do it because we are going there anyway. It really adds up fast. Between gas and groceries, it is taking a big bite out of the budgets of everyone.

Corn Harvest Time

The farmers are really having a hard time of it with all the rain we have been having. I heard the other day that only 1/5 of the corn had been harvested by this time compared to 1/2 normally by now. We have had so much cold weather too and west of us the snow is piling up. There are even blizzard warnings out in some places in Nebraska.

My cousin in Denver says they get a lot of snow and heard it was headed to Denver too so I would guess everything is white there by now. I hope it holds off for a couple months yet around here. My husband says he can remember one year that the farmers had to wait until Spring to combine the corn because we had an early deep snow. That would be awful, wouldn't it?

Nebraska Personal Injury Lawyers

Remember the last time you were rear ended in the grocery store parking lot? You thought everything was alright but you were injured and didn't realize it. At the time, it was hard to tell that anyone had been injured but later on the aches and pains showed up. Once you got to the doctor you found out your back had been injured and your neck and shoulders but you did not know if you had a case or not.

The best thing to do in a case like this is to get online with the Nebraska personal injury lawyers in this law office and find out. They have a short form you can fill out and give a brief description of what happened. Then they will let you know if you have a case. You can also telephone them. The number is right there on their website. Do not hesitate as doctor bills can pile up and become a very real burden and if it wasn't your fault, then why should you have to pay them? Find out now.

Bad Weather

There is considerable bad weather west of us. They are talking a great deal of snow in several states. It feels like it could snow here as cold as it is. It has been raining heavily all day and they thought we might see a snow flake or two. That is the last thing we want to see. It was really pouring at noon but it let us for a bit so I got in the car and went and got the mail. I had a few errands to run so got them all done and back in the warm house. The wind the last two days has been very strong too. I hope the snow goes north of us like they are saying. It is only October 23 and too early for snow although we have seen a dusting on Halloween before in the past ten years. The longer it stays away, then it won't stick and be around for November and December. It can wait for New Years for me and that would be too soon. The older we get the less we like the snow.

Raking Leaves - Fall Weather

It was a beautiful day for raking leaves so the neighbor got her 4 children all outside. They had three huge pumpkin colored plastic bags with faces on them. They all worked together and the Mom raked up huge piles of leaves. Then all the kids filled those big bags and tied them up and sat them in front of the house.

They had a lot of fun playing in the leaves as they did it and had a really good time. The little one, being only 2, was thrilled with all these "new" happenings going around her and she had a good time playing in the leaves too. Then they hung some other decorations in the window and put some on stakes along the sidewalk. A big Halloween picture covers the entrance door so it really looks like Halloween season. They will all have a good time going out in their costumes next week and I bet they can hardly wait. Ours will be the first house they stop at for treats.

Cubans Head to Mexico to Avoid U.S. Patrols

Cubans are heading to Mexico and they are stealing fast boats to do it. Lazaro Mendez got an alert that his boat has been stolen from the Florida Keys. With technology being what it is today, he grabbed his laptop and tracked his fishing boat's position by satellite. He could see it stop and refuel at sea and then shoot off toward Cuba.

This was the latest in a bunch of thefts of Florida boats. They like them because of their speed. He was actually able to get his boat back and come face to face with the men who stole it. He was a lucky man. I am sure many haven't gotten their boats back.

FDA will Open Inspection Office in China

Well I would hope so. We have gotten so much poisonous stuff from China lately. Last year already, there were toys recalled by the thousands. Then came the toothpaste. As part of a broader plan to assure the safety of imports, the Food and Drug Administration will establish its first office in China before the end of the year. They have laid out a plan to place more than 60 food and drug regulators worldwide over the next year. They are going to particularly focus on India, Latin America and the Middle east.

The staffers will inspect foreign facilities, and provide guidance on U.S. quality standards. Eventually they will train local experts to conduct inspections on behalf of the FDA. They expect to post 8 U.S. staffers in China next year and then open additional outposts in Shanghai and Guangzhou. The government will also send 10 employees to India. We want the imports we receive to be safe for our people and this sounds like a good way to do it.

Contact Lenses

Don't pay another big bill for contact lenses until you have checked with this company. It is simple, fast and inexpensive to deal with them online and you can save up to 70% on contact lenses. Not only that but they will bill you later and you can have up to 90 days to pay them on purchases over $100. Besides that, on an order over $89, they will give you free shipping as well. They have all brands of contact lenses and all types. Just do a search on their website for what you are looking for. It is easy.

Google in the News Again

Google third quarter earnings topped the analyst views. They shook off the economic doldrums and made a third-quarter profit that topped expectations of the analysts. This supported the internet search leader's theory that is advertising system will prosper even in tough times. Their confidence paid off.

The company, based in Mountain View, California, said Thursday that it made $1.35 billion or $4.24 per share. That's pretty good. Their profit rose 26% from $1.07 billion or $3.38 per share at the same time last year.

Google said it would have made $4.92 per share if it excluded costs for employee stock compensation. That figure surpassed the average estimate of $4.75 per share among the analysts polled by Reuters.

Maritime Lawyers

A maritime lawyer will aggressively work for you if you are a maritime worker and have had a maritime injury anywhere in the United States. There are so many different laws that cover the various maritime workers, that you need a firm such as this one to seek the financial compensation for your injuries. You do not have an extended time period in which to apply for your injury disability claim so they will give you a free consultation about your case and get going on it. Because of their experience, you can rest assured that they will do all they can to remedy your situation and get the compensation you seek and need.

All Alone 2 Video

You just have to see the horror video, "All Alone 2" written and directed by our grandson Seth Alne. He has quite a talent for writing horror videos. His cousins help him out as actors and do a really good job of it. You can check out his videos on Facebook and "All Alone" the first video was excellent and won a contest. Then he competed with the follow-up sequel video. I think he plans on doing more of them too. It is fun to be able to get on the computer and keep up with what everyone is doing.

Fat Burner

Really want to burn that fat off of you? One diet aid says it will take 7 pounds off you in 7 days. Now who is kidding who. What is best to do is check out these diet pills and see what really works. But try to Google fat burner and you will get 2 million results. What you really need to do is go to fat burner where they have already done all the work for you. They have checked out the top 25 fat burners for safety, ingredients and ease of use. And they can get you the best price and a money back guarantee. Search no more, check them out.

Funny T-Shirts

Looking for funny t-shirts. Then you have come to the right place. I don't think there is a funny t-shirt that they haven't covered. No matter what the joke, occasion or whatever, you will find the perfect t-shirt here. Need one for a major birthday - like 40 - 50 - 60? Check them out, you are sure to find one that will just crack them up. They also have a lot of sports and family friendly t-shirts. They have them all.

Cooking Supper

Tonight I get out of cooking supper. We are going to out to eat and that is always good. I enjoy the days when we eat out because then I can keep on posting on my blog without interruption. I do need to take some time out though and go walk on the Gazelle. I walk 30 minutes a day every day and sometimes more.

Diet and exercise, I have found, is the best way to stay healthy and fish is good for you too. I had to run an errand a while ago so that took a bit of time out of my day but I am back and ready for more posting. I'm going to have to check out the freezer though and see what I am going to cook for supper tomorrow night. Tomorrow is kind of a laid back day and I will have more time for cooking a favorite meal.

Fashion Jewelry Sets

Have you ever wanted some new jewelry but thought it would be too expensive? I sure have and I found this website fashion jewelry sets that has the most beautiful designer costume jewelry. And you can purchase matching sets. Whether you are looking for contemporary styles or classic jewelry, you are sure to find what you are looking for through their thousands of pieces of exquisite bracelets, rings, earrings and watches and more. If you are buying something for gift, they will personalize it for you. If you don't just love the jewelry you have purchased, you can return it, no questions asked. That is their guarantee. Not only that but they offer free shipping on orders over $85. There is a large selection of both mens and womens jewelry. The pictures on the website, although gorgeous, still don't do the jewelry justice. The colors are brilliant.

Weather Maps and Local Stations

I am a weather nut, I would guess you would say. I just love to watch the weather. Even when I am exercising, I like to put on the weather station because there is always something changing on it and keeps my interest. It helps make the time fly by faster. I have been watching the maps since last night as there was a huge storm in Nebraska and Kansas SW of us and it looked like it was standing still and growing stronger all the time. Then it began to move north but it looked like it would just clip our state and keep on going north. This morning it is huge and looks like it is going to blanket our entire state by this afternoon, perhaps. I will probably have to unplug things again and start up all over again. I hate doing that, especially reprogramming VCR's, etc. Hopefully, it will weaken before it gets here. Guess we will just have to wait and see.

Family is Wonderful

This is my grandaughter. Isn't she a beauty? She has brains too. She is a teacher, wife and mother of the cutest little girl. My grandaughter is a great help to me with all the questions I have so many times when I am posting on my blog. It always seems I can count on her to have the answer to my problems I encounter. It is so great to have close family that you love and love you back. Her daughter will soon be walking. She is definitely working at it. She will be one year old November 1st. It doesn't seem possible. Time flies by so fast. I can remember when her mother was one year old. Where does the time go. Stop and smell the roses is an old saying but it goes for everything. Don't always hurry through life, but stop and enjoy the happy moments because they are too soon gone. No one ever looks back and wishes they had washed more dishes or dusted the house more. They will remember the fun times most of all.

Knee and Hip Replacements

Both knee and hip replacements are becoming more common among younger and younger people. Many play hard at tennis and other sports and are ruining their joints. Often, a younger person thinks because he has had a new knee or hip replaced, that he/she can still do the running and jumping they did before. This is not true. The problem arises when they do this and find they are going to need another replacement.

It is bad enough when older people need their joints replaced. They can wait too long and the longer you wait, the longer the recovery time can be. I remember the doctor telling me distinctly "no running or jumping" with my new knee replacement. Another problem is when they have had the knee replacement for a long time, the bone in the thigh begins to wear down from constant use if they are very active. Then it is often a problem for the doctor to find enough good bone to insert another knee replacement. That sounds like a bad situation to me.

Honeymooners

I see the honeymooners next door have arrived home. I think they went to Minnesota and stayed up by the Mall of America. They have 4 kids so they don't get away by themselves and it had to be nice to be on their own for several days. They will have to wash the car and get all the decorations off of it. And I see them carrying in several bags, so they were able to do some shopping. They had a very beautiful wedding and a lovely reception. There were many gifts there and it took several in the family with vans to haul them all to their house. They will have a great time opening them. It seems families like to get together and watch the bride and groom open their gifts. I think that is fun. The kids will have a fun time too and the little 2 year old will probably "help" unwrap some of the gifts, don't you think?

The Weather is Changeable

The weather has been unseasonable. When it was supposed to be cold, it was warm and when it was supposed to be warm, it was cold. Now it is raining and we didn't really need that either. It was quite warm today, unseasonably warm but then after supper the wind got down right chilly, so we had to close windows again. You just don't know what to expect from one day to the next. The farmers want good weather as they are really into combining the corn and beans now and they don't want the fields to get wet. They use such big machinery these days and also semis to haul the crops. It is harder if the trucks have to park up on the blacktop and can't drive into the fields.

Concussions - Brain

I read in the paper that six NFL retired players are among a dozen athletes who have agreed to donate their brains to study the long-term effects of concussions. This was reported by the New York Times. Ted Johnson, a former New England Patriots linebacker, is one of the players who committed to the donation. His neurologist thinks that his multiple concussions between 2002 and 2005 could be the cause of his permanent and degenerative problems with memory and depression. Johnson said any doctor that doesn't connect concussions with long-term effects should be ashamed of themselves. He hopes that Boston University's Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy can clear up the debate on this issue.

Ford Taurus

Our nephew has been looking for a 4 cylinder car to save money on gas going to work. He has looked at several and finally found one the other day. It is a beautiful red Ford Taurus and it should save him some money on gas.

He was able to sell his old car for $250. We could hardly believe it as it had a hole in the floor and was really in poor shape. But it ran good and I guess that person probably is going to use it for work. It was easy on gas too but it really looked rough. He was lucky to sell it, I think.

He got a bright yellow motor scooter too as he has a paper route before he goes to work and he uses it to deliver the papers. That is a good gas saver also. He's very careful with his money as he has experienced several layoffs from his job and there could be more this winter.

Vice Presidential Debate

Are you going to watch the Vice Presidential Debate? Joe Biden and Sarah Palin face off in one of the most highly anticipated debates in a long while. I do not usually watch this sort of thing, but I like Sarah Palin and I may not get to watch it all, so I plan to tape it and that way I can zip through anything I wish. Then afterwards, the news stations always rip and tear apart everything they say until you almost do not recognize it anymore. News stations are definitely prejudiced, and it is most obvious, so you know they will run down Palin and built up Biden. It's a given.

Acne Treatments

Once you get acne, the first thing you want to find out is about acne treatments. This is a great website to check out because there are thousands of treatment options and you want to find out which is best. They have done all the work for you so that you can know that you are getting a safe product with quality ingredients. A list of the top 5 treatment options are found on their site so you don't have to do all the checking around to find out what is best. They also have checked for the best prices and if you have any doubts, check out the customer feedback there too.

SUV and Truck Sales

Have you looked around at all at the SUV and trucks that are on sale? Now you can hit the used car lots and find terrific deals on big pickups because everyone is trading theirs in for a small vehicle. They are hoping to get good mileage and save a bunch on gas. Now those who have always wanted a big truck or SUV and could not afford it, just have to look around and buy one at a terrific discount over new price. Figure it out. So it takes more gas, right? But look at how much money you saved buying it now. That will more than buy your gas for the next year and then some. The best part being that you have the vehicle you have been wanting but couldn't afford.

Outdoor Furniture Covers

In this part of the country, it is time to put away our outdoor furniture covers However, when we get to looking at them, they look the worse for weather and wear so maybe it is time to get some new ones. This online website is having a great Fall Sale and you can save up to 60% on ready to ship items. They have something for your tables, chairs, pool loungers and beautiful selection of colors to choose from for pillows. Now is the time to buy so that next year the neighbors will look at your patio with envy and you will have saved a great deal of money over waiting until next Spring.