For those cynics who don't think that there is good news coming out of the Middle East: "Halliburton Co. is making a big push to expand in the Middle East, with Chief Executive Officer Dave Lesar spending a substantial part of his time running the company from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. From his Dubai office, he said, Mr. Lesar will be concentrating on building the Houston oil-services company's business with national oil companies in the Eastern Hemisphere, including Asia, Africa and the Middle East. "Growing our business here will bring more balance to Halliburton's overall portfolio," Mr. Lesar said in a statement yesterday." (thanks Dale)