Christmas is over, time to go back to work and talking about trouble  This week a big bond rating firm pointed out that some exploration and production companies are headed for big trouble. While falling oil prices hurt every company, it's far ... Read more

  Over the weekend over stouts and porters, as befit the blustery cold-ish day, I asked my bother Kirby to name his beer of the year and he refused, and not just because he's stubborn. He argued that was just too limiting. Granted there were pl... Read more

  In case you have been wondering why big oil service companies like Halliburton Co., Weatherford International and Transocean have been moving their headquarters from Houston to Switzerland and other places to the east -consider this report fr... Read more

  I fear I'm getting into some wishful thinking. But as I live in Houston, where prosperity depends much on crude, as in oil, and I'd like to be getting writing jobs for oil companies I'd like to see them spending money. So my eyes widened whe... Read more

  I feel this disconnect when people start talking about energy policy. There's all these long-term things that make all kinds of sense - cutting carbon emissions, not being dependent on foreign oil, building up the domestic alternative energy ... Read more

  One of the things that used to get me into the Christmas spirit was stories about the staggering bonus checks going to investment bankers in December. I suppose I should experience some tingle of pleasure in their pain this December. But when... Read more

 North Slope oil prices are down, which is also a negative for the stock of Sarah Palin.  For those who wonder about the future of the country when they hear her name, there's some hope in this report that shows production from Alaska's No... Read more

  In a bad news story about world oil consumption dropping like a rock due to the hard times, there was a reminder that certain things don't change. Down in this Houston Chronicle story is this tidbit - U.S. drivers have regained their thirst f... Read more

  Just as ballet has the Nutcracker Suite and theater the Christmas Carol, beer makers have Winter Warmers.   Search the Beer Advocate for Winter Warmers, which sounds like a brew from Eddie Bauer, and there's more than 400 listed, with ... Read more

  Here's another benchmark, and an indication of how falling oil prices can have a nasty domino effect. The head of the nation's largest ethanol maker saying in this EnergyCurrent story that at current corn prices ethanol can compete with ... Read more