Miss or Not, Schlumberger Packs a Wallop

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It typically isn't a subject of intense discussion, even among avid investors, but companies vary widely in the quality and amount of information they dispense during earnings seasons. For my money, few corporations are as informative regarding their circumstances and those of the industry they represent as oilfield services kingpin Schlumberger (NYSE: SLB  ) .

Sure, Schlumberger provides the normal earnings, cash flow, and other financial metrics that are required of all companies. But it also fleshes out its press releases with enlightening examples of the projects in which each of its segments has been involved. (The company is not alone in providing informative press releases. Mining giant Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold (NYSE: FCX  ) , for instance, packs 40 pages of usable information into its quarterly releases.) In addition, however, Schlumberger's analyst calls have always seemed unusually helpful. 

A solid quarter, the analysts notwithstanding
However, in the third quarter of this year, for instance, Schlumberger's income slid to $1.3 billion, or $0.96 per share, versus last year's $1.73 billion, or $1.34, for the comparable quarter of 2010. However, the third quarter of 2010 included a $0.98 per share one-time gain related to the acquisition of Smith International. Analysts had expected the most recent quarter to generate earnings of about $1.01 per share, or a nickel above the actual results. Revenues for the quarter were $10.2 billion, up 49% year-over-year.

Schlumberger is everywhere
Geographically, active locations Included Iraq (which obviously continues to ramp up following years of war-related dormancy), Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Brazil, Russia, and Angola. Exceptions were the Middle East and Asia, where decreased WesternGeco (seismic) activity reduced revenues.

The company's Oilfield Services group managed to increase its revenues 44% year-over-year. North America benefited the segment substantially, as did deepwater activity in Brazil, and coring work in Iraq. Projects in Brazil included the testing of reservoir samples for Anadarko (NYSE: APB  ) . In addition, the company was able to participate in completing the first shale gas exploratory well in Poland.

The Reservoir Characterization group eked its revenues higher by 1% sequentially. The unit benefited from offshore exploration projects in Brazil, East Asia, Russia, and the North Sea, along with deepwater work in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. In the Neutral Zone separating Kuwait from Saudi Arabia -- where Chevron (NYSE: CVX  ) is the only company operating upstream -- advanced real-time Wireline fluid sampling has been employed to recover the molasses-like heavy oil that characterizes the area. The group also completed the first commercial survey for Apache (NYSE: APA  ) offshore Australia.

The Drilling group expanded its revenue by 79% year-over-year, providing its services in a wide array of locations, including Iraq, Ecuador, Oman, Indonesia, Azerbaijan, Egypt, and others. Closer to home, Schlumberger techniques saved meaningful time for Murphy Oil (NYSE: MUR  ) during drilling operations in the Eagle Ford prospect of South Texas.

Helping Chesapeake finish first again
Finally, the Reservoir Production group, which expanded its revenues by 47% year-on-year, combined combined with Chesapeake Energy (NYSE: CHK  ) on a Barnett Shale project wherein the United States' unconventional drilling leader became the first to apply Schlumberger's HiWay channel fracturing technique. The companies applied the new technique on one well in the three-well pad, thereby permitting comparisons with alternative techniques.

Foolish bottom line
But what lies ahead for Schlumberger and its peers clearly outstrips past achievements. Therefore, I'm inclined to lend particular credence to a comment by Paal Kibsgaard, the company's still-new CEO, during his post-release call:

"The current financial turmoil has already resulted in a lower outlook for oil demand growth in 2012, although demand growth is still expected to exceed that of 2011. However, recent production data, as well as forward projections indicate that there is a tight cushion of excess oil supply that will continue to support activity. Therefore, while the financial turmoil introduces some uncertainty over near-term activity, it has yet to have an impact on the actual activity of our customers. We remain confident that any potential reduction will be short-lived and that the outlook for the service industry remains positive."

Given that assessment, along with Schlumberger's 110,000 employees laboring in 80 countries for both public and national oil companies (NOC), and its technological superiority (which was enhanced by $919 million spent on R&D in 2010), it seems that the closer attention that Foolish investors pay to the company, the stronger will be their comprehension of the world's traditional energy circumstances. In my opinion, the optimum way to remain abreast of the company is to add its name to your version of My Watchlist.

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Source: http://feeds.fool.com/~r/usmf/foolwatch/~3/7xsQdaUgNJU/miss-or-not-schlumberger-packs-a-wallop.aspx

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Bankruptcy Advice: Money Mistakes That Wreak Havoc on Your Finances

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We all make mistakes - but if you end up making more than a few mistakes with your finances, you could end up in serious trouble. If the Great Recession taught us anything, it's that not having a financial plan can lead to irreparable professional and personal disaster. It only takes a few bad money moves to end up swimming in debt, with no hope of recovering without filing bankruptcy.

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Source: http://ezinearticles.com/6649911

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Not Enough People Are Talking About AirPlay Right Now


appletv iphone airplay

I've been reading a lot of speculation recently about what a future Apple TV might look like. Not nearly enough of these analyses have talked about AirPlay. It's clear to me that AirPlay would be so important to the Apple TV, you might as well call it AirPlay TV.

There's so much compelling video content and games available on the App Store, it's not really that big of a deal if you can't watch cable TV, DVDs, or play Xbox on the Apple TV. This trend is only accelerating. When Steve Jobs said "I finally cracked it", I'd bet he was thinking of how AirPlay and the App Store had eliminated the need to support old set-top boxes.

The new AirPlay Mirroring feature in iOS 5 doesn't get talked about much, but it's the key to making this work. Watch this demo of AirPlay Mirroring if you need to be convinced. AirPlay Mirroring with the current Apple TV is underwhelming because of the hassle of making it work. You need to find the TV remote, switch to the Apple TV input, find the Apple TV remote, wake up the Apple TV, then go back to your iOS device and turn on AirPlay. Ugh! Apple has to make AirPlay work effortlessly, and to do that, they need more than a set-top box. They need to control the whole TV.

The one big technical hurdle for Apple to overcome is the unreliable WiFi connection between your iOS device and the TV. There are a number of ways they could overcome this. They could put a WiFi router or extender in the TV to ensure a fast connection. They might try another high-bandwidth wireless networking standard that doesn't rely on flaky home WiFi routers. They might come up with a new split architecture in which apps run partially on the TV and partially on the iOS device. I don't know exactly how they'll solve this, but I am sure they will solve it.

Once the networking is reliable, the user experience can get really good. There would be no on/off switch on the TV. You'd just sit down on the couch, pick up your iPad (or iPhone or iPod touch), start using an app, and the TV would turn itself on and start displaying the AirPlay stream. No fumbling with remotes. No numeric keypads and up/down/left/right buttons. Just touch, swipe, and speak to find what you want to watch. You'll never plug a set-top box into this thing, and you'll never want to.

It's possible Apple could choose to just license AirPlay to TV manufacturers, but something tells me they won't be able to resist making a showcase TV that screams "Apple!" to everyone who walks into your living room. Once Apple announces this, iOS developers will be scrambling to support AirPlay. I'm sure Apple will give enough advance notice to ensure that a ton of amazing content is available on launch day. It will take a while for Apple to get all of the big TV/movie studios, sports leagues, and news networks on board, but they will eventually. Most them already have dipped their toe into the App Store waters (see HBO Go,MLB.tv, and CNN, for example).

If I were an iOS developer, I'd start investing in AirPlay right now.

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/businessinsider/~3/uy7X0sFttfk/not-enough-people-are-talking-about-airplay-2011-10

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DuPont Fattens Up On The Farm To $58 Stock Price

Dupont?s Pioneer Hi-Bred subsidiary recently announced the start-up of a new seed research facility last week, in line with the company?s expectation of continued growth in agriculture industry because of the growing world population

Source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2011/10/25/dupont-fattens-up-on-the-farm-to-58-stock-price/

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Ken Lewis Chops The Price On His South Carolina Vacation House Again


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Former Bank of America CEO Ken Lewis is seriously trying to unload a beach house he owns in a private community in Spring Island, South Carolina.

Lewis, who left the bank at the end of 2009, just slashed the price on the vacation home to $2.975 million.

He previously reduced the price in 2009, to $3.3 million, after the property had already sat on the market for two years, the Wall Street Journal reported at the time.

Lewis bought the home along with Dennis Thompson, the founder and CEO of Charlotte, N.C.-based restaurant operator Firebirds International, in 2002 for $3 million, according to the WSJ.

The pad has three bedrooms, marsh views, and was once featured in Architectural Digest.

The home is a southern classic, complete with columns

It's located in a private community with a sports complex and equestrian center

Lovely views of the marsh

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/businessinsider/~3/QvGU3dkt7WU/ken-lewis-beach-house-south-carolina-photos-2011-10

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Helpline for Debt Reduction And Relief

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The extent of the debt problem in the US is affecting people from all walks of life, especially the ones with a limited income. Indeed, many are currently in deep debt trouble and this is why a lot of debt relief agencies have emerged over the past decade or so. Aside from hiring a debt reduction agency that would offer their professional services to help individuals restore their financial standing.

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Source: http://ezinearticles.com/6637616

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EntreLeader Spotlight: Brad Tibbs

My Name: Brad Tibbs

Home: Boise, Idaho

My Company: Boise Auto Clearance

My Mentor

His name is Ed Weaver, and he?s more of a life mentor than just a business one. He has an incredible way of seeing things on a level I tend to overlook. More than anything else, Ed has taught me that I am worthy of the tasks before me, and that I should have no fear of conquering the "giants" in life's battles. He's also helped give me a perspective that guides me to balance my time at home, work, with others and with myself.

My Inspiration

I am inspired by those who have the control to say no to things that are good in order to make room for things that are GREAT! Too often, I find myself saying yes to things that are fun or make me feel happy. But they take up my time and money and leave me with second or third best. Those with the discipline and focus to say no to good things will get to experience far more than those of us who settle and say yes to the merely good things.

The Secret to My Success

Being successful in business requires intentionality, which means stopping the daily grind long enough, and on a regular basis, to look beyond today, set some goals, and then plan strategic steps to reach those goals. It also means weighing the costs and the potential returns of outsourcing some of my responsibilities to others so I can, as Dave says, "work on my business, not just in my business.?

Favorite Business Apps

In general, I'm a huge iPhone user. I like Vlingo (vlingo.com) because I can tell my phone to Google things or get me directions to places without typing anything. It will even transcribe voice-to-text emails and SMS. The other one is LogMeIn Ignition, which allows me to remotely access my PC from my iPhone. My phone substitutes for a laptop in a pinch, and I carry it in my pocket!

What Are You Reading Right Now

I recently started Parallel Thinking by Edward de Bono. It's about how people think and the way the world works in parallel, inter-connected systems, rather than in the linear style of "computing" that the Western world has adopted. It shows the flaws of compartmentalizing everything into categories and making judgments too quickly. It?s not overtly a business book, but helpful as we think about marketing and how people are influenced and make decisions.

Favorite Dave Moment

When I approached Dave in the lobby of the Swan and Dolphin in Orlando, Florida, where he was waiting in line at the hotel's front desk. He was so willing to speak to me about a serious question I had about my business. It seemed as if we had known each other for years.

My Dream

To be the husband my wife married and the dad my kids will love to be with. I want to be full of integrity, generous with forgiveness, and care more about people than money. I want to spend most of my years serving with a mission organization in South America, bringing maximum impact and healing to those with very few opportunities and resources. With all that said, I want to grow a very successful business that will support my volunteerism and allow my family the privilege of giving our lives away in service. To me, that sounds like more fun than anything else I can imagine.

Listen to Dave talk about the great work Brad is doing.

No leader should lead without these principles. It?s what your team members need to see in you, and what you want to see in them. Learn more about the EntreLeadership Live Events, and put Dave's 20 years of proven business principles to work for you.

In 20 years, Dave has grown his company to a national winning brand with more than 300 team members who have impacted millions of lives. His company has been named one of the ?Best Places to Work in Nashville? four years in a row. EntreLeadership is how he?s done it and how you can do it too. Get your copy of the new book now!

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Source: http://www.daveramsey.com/article/entreleader-spotlight-brad-tibbs/lifeandmoney_business

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Halloween's Biggest Spenders? Not Who You Think

--> No Trick: It's Adult Revelers Who Drive Halloween Spending Halloween can get ghoulishly expensive, especially in the 'burbs. I live on a leafy street of 90-year-old homes that's long and flat with minimal traffic -- enticing dozens of families to come trick-or-treating. This inspires some over-the-top decorating among the neighbors and requires at least nine pounds of candy. Throw in a pumpkin-picking trip and three costumes for my own goblins, and our holiday outlay is more than $150.

But many of the biggest spenders on Halloween don't even have kids, according to a new survey by American Express (AXP). Young professionals -- defined as college-educated workers 30 or younger earning $50,000 or more -- spend the most, averaging $87. Three-quarters say they'll buy costumes -- compared to just 35% for the general population.

"It's interesting to watch the evolution of Halloween to a full-blown holiday for people of all ages, especially adults," says American Express spokeswoman Melanie Backs. "The people spending the most money are spending for Halloween parties. It's a trend we are seeing overall in a lot of surveys -- people really focusing on experiential spending."

Overall, about seven in 10 Americans will open their wallets to celebrate Halloween this year, up slightly from last year, according to surveys by American Express and the National Retail Federation. Total spending is expected to reach $6.86 billion, the NRF found, or $72 per person. A poll by American Express estimates an average layout of $53.

"Over time, Halloween has really evolved from a one-night event focused on children trick-or-treating to something much larger," says Backs. "The season keeps extending -- retailers are doing what they can to stretch the window."

Back-to-school shoppers who hit a big box store on Labor Day (guilty as charged) found the aisles cleared and prepped for Halloween. Meanwhile, temporary pop-up stores have proliferated in recent years, catering as much to adults as pint-sized revelers.

In fact, Americans will spend more on adult costumes ($1.21 billion) than on kids' disguises ($1 billion). They need them for the dozens of grown-up events that have emerged in recent years. While New York City's Halloween parade has been a celebrated spectacle for nearly four decades, of late, adult parties have proliferated in big cities nationwide. The website HalloweenParties.com promotes and sells tickets to dozens of events, include the "FangBanger's Ball" in Los Angeles, the "Halloweekend Pub Crawl" in San Francisco and the "Heaven, Hell and Purgatory" party at the aptly named Club Worship in Atlantic City.

The travel industry is also getting a piece of the action. "Due the fact that Halloween is on a Monday, it's a full weekend event," says Backs.

While for the most part people are staying home, American Express Travel saw a 50% spike over last year in bookings to Las Vegas, where Heidi Klum is hosting her 11th annual party at The Venetian, featuring a $10,000 costume contest. The Girls Next Door reality show star Bridget Marquardt is sponsoring a competing bash at Planet Hollywood to celebrate the release of her Halloween costume line, Bridget by Roma. (It includes, to no one's surprise, a pink Playboy Bunny outfit, clearly modified to avoid a trademark battle.) New York and San Francisco are two other cities seeing a jump in travel.

As for the more traditional experiential spending, about half of respondents will decorate their homes or yards, and carve pumpkins; more than one-third will throw parties; about a quarter will visit haunted houses; and one-third will take kids trick-or-treating, the NRF found. Finally there are the 15% who will put their pets through the humiliation of wearing a costume (again, guilty as charged). Spending on Halloween pet-wear is estimated at $310 million.

Finally, the classic pumpkin-picking trip has been altered a bit this year, particularly on the East Coast, where Hurricane Irene and tropical storm Lee wreaked havoc on the crop. Talk of higher prices abounds, though the Department of Agriculture won't have officials numbers until the end of the year. But there was clearly a shortage in New Jersey: At our favorite farm, the owners had a smaller-than-usual supply of pumpkins in the field -- all of which had been trucked in from Michigan.

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Source: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/10/25/no-trick-its-adult-revelers-who-drive-halloween-spending/

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Money Management 101 - How to Take Control of Your Finances

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Every penny counts in today's economy, whether you're struggling to make the rent on a lower salary than you're used to or whether you're still marching forward through these rough economic times. Everywhere you look you'll see articles or reports on how to save money, rebuild credit, or just put groceries on the table. There's one basic principal that can help you tremendously, however, and it applies to those dealing with financial difficulties just as much as it does to those who are still doing fine financially.

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Source: http://ezinearticles.com/6642626

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