XI JINPING HAS RESURFACED

xi jinping

Xi Jinping, slated to be China's next president, who had been assumed unwell or the victim of a car-accident has finally resurfaced.

Earlier this week a report in the Guangxi Daily newspaper, a communist party paper quoted Xi expressing his condolences on the death of Communist party member Hong Rong.

But he had yet to be seen in public and rumors about his health continued.

But Xi appeared healthy when visiting Beijing's China Agricultural University yesterday. From Xinhua: 

In an exhibit section showcasing instant melamine checks for milk products, Xi said, "Food safety is a significant livelihood issue. While strengthening supervision and punishment, the whole society should be mobilized to focus on the issue in order to create a sound social environment."

After watching children conduct interactive experiments, Xi encouraged them to develop healthy eating habits. He also called on teachers to arrange more activities to promote science that cater to young people's tastes.

The Daily Telegraph reported yesterday that Xi had been under tremendous pressure and criticism after the Beidaihe meeting in which leaders discussed the upcoming leadership transition.

Xi is also expected to attend the 9th China-ASEAN Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Expo later this month.

Don't Miss: China Crash 2012 - Here's Why It's Finally Happening >

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iPhone 5?s Lack of ?Wow? Factor Levels The Smartphone Playing Field

This is probably an indicator that the smartphone industry has reached a stage where little in terms of a revolution is possible, while immense scope still remains for incremental evolution of existing features.

Source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2012/09/14/iphone-5s-lack-of-wow-factor-levels-the-smartphone-playing-field/

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This Couple Paid Off $92,000 in Credit Card Debt in 5 Years

Sue and Jerry BaileyJerry Bailey, a minister in Jackson, Mich., says he feels as if he has been given back his life. It's a dramatic statement -- and the story behind these words is, indeed, pretty extraordinary.

But this isn't the kind of real-life tale screenwriters are scrambling to write. There's no prison time or debilitating medical conditions involved. In fact, Bailey's tale is, at its core, really quite commonplace.

Like countless Americans, Bailey and his wife Sue were in debt. A lot of debt.

Living in a House of Cards

It was 2005, and the couple had rung up approximately $92,000 in charges on their credit cards. At one point, they had 17 of them.

"It was easy to amass that many credit cards in those days," Bailey says. "We had spread the debt across all those credit cards, so we really had no idea how much we owed. Each balance, when taken separately, didn't look so bad."

It was bad, however. But -- here's where it gets dramatic -- by October 2010, the Baileys had paid off every cent of that $92,000 they owed.

 Jerry and Sue BaileyThe Wake-Up Call

Jerry Bailey was a widower when he met Sue, a registered nurse and single mother. Their combined family includes six kids. Their credit card debt accumulated over the years as they paid for home repairs, child-rearing expenses, and weddings.

The family was getting by -- Bailey says they managed to make all their minimum payments each month -- but just barely.

Then they got a financial wake-up call. And it wasn't from a collection agency, as is often the case for people who amass large amounts of debt.

When they needed to make a home repair, Bailey approached his credit union for a loan. "When the loan officer pulled up our credit report she turned white as a sheet," says Bailey. "She told me that not only could they not approve a loan, but she suggested we seek bankruptcy. Then I turned white as a sheet."

The Baileys refused to consider bankruptcy.

"Our second wake-up call was when we had to add up everything we owed," Bailey says.

To help them manage the $92,000 mountain of credit card debt they faced, the Baileys' credit union recommended that they contact GreenPath Debt Solutions, a nonprofit credit counseling service. The Baileys were worried, since they had heard that some credit counselors are untrustworthy, but financially experienced friends told them GreenPath, which is member of the certification agency National Foundation for Credit Counseling, was reputable.

Making the First Cut

Mary Haas, the Baileys' credit counselor at GreenPath, contacted their creditors. Some lenders lowered their interest rates on outstanding balances, which helped the Baileys reduce their balances faster.

Haas also created a debt management program, or DMP, for the Baileys, which required them to pay $665 per week to GreenPath, which in turn paid their creditors with those funds.

The family also went on a no-plastic diet. "We had to cut up our credit cards and pay cash for everything," says Bailey.

The new budget left the Baileys enough to continue to make their own house and car payments, cover utility bills, and pay for basic necessities. And that was it. There was no financial wiggle room. "We could not buy any clothes or go on any trips or get a new car," says Bailey. "We couldn't even buy gifts for our grandchildren. I won't say it was easy, but we knew if we could finish the program we'd be debt-free."

Both Baileys took on extra work to keep up with the weekly payments.

The path to being debt-free was not free of setbacks -- some of them major. After a few years in the program, for example, Sue required extensive foot surgery and couldn't work for five months. GreenPath was able to renegotiate terms with some of their creditors. But two creditors were unwilling to change their terms, so Bailey worked extra hours to pay off those debts as quickly as possible.

"I have to admit that there were times I was extremely exhausted and depressed during this whole ordeal," says Bailey. "We relied on each other, our faith and our friends, who encouraged us throughout that difficult time."

 Jerry BaileyThe Phone Call

In October 2010, more than five years after their debt management regimen began, the Baileys received a phone call from GreenPath with good news: They were debt-free.

"We were ecstatic," says Bailey. "We had been receiving monthly statements and knew we were reducing our debt, but we didn't know the exact date."

The Baileys consistently paid $665 each week during the program. Since then, they've used their extra cash to repair their home and to make extra payments on their mortgage, which they hope to pay off by May 2013.

Although the credit card debt is gone, there are lingering reminders of the toll it took on their finances: "Our credit rating was hurt by our debt problems," says Sue. But time -- and new, good habits -- will heal that wound.

Today, the Baileys have one credit card -- a far cry from the 17 that packed their wallets in 2005 -- and they pay the balance in full every single month. Cash is still king in their household. "We strongly believe that cash is the best way to pay for everything. We've learned that if we don't have the cash for something we can just wait and save for it," Sue said.

The Baileys have some advice for people with credit card debt. "First, sit down and do what we did: Add up everything you owe," says Bailey. As hard as it may be to face the total -- be it $9,000 or $90,000 -- it's important to know where you stand and to face the problem before it gets even worse.

Also recognize the emotional toll the debt can take: "Being in debt is like being in prison. You can't do what you want when you want to do anything," Bailey says. And then think about what it will be like when you are debt-free. For Bailey, "It's an incredible feeling to be as generous as you want to be to help others in need."

Michele Lerner is a contributing writer to The Motley Fool.


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Source: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/09/15/this-couple-paid-off-92-000-in-credit-card-debt-in-5-years/

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iPhone 5?s Lack of ?Wow? Factor Levels The Smartphone Playing Field

This is probably an indicator that the smartphone industry has reached a stage where little in terms of a revolution is possible, while immense scope still remains for incremental evolution of existing features.

Source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2012/09/14/iphone-5s-lack-of-wow-factor-levels-the-smartphone-playing-field/

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This Couple Paid Off $92,000 in Credit Card Debt in 5 Years

Sue and Jerry BaileyJerry Bailey, a minister in Jackson, Mich., says he feels as if he has been given back his life. It's a dramatic statement -- and the story behind these words is, indeed, pretty extraordinary.

But this isn't the kind of real-life tale screenwriters are scrambling to write. There's no prison time or debilitating medical conditions involved. In fact, Bailey's tale is, at its core, really quite commonplace.

Like countless Americans, Bailey and his wife Sue were in debt. A lot of debt.

Living in a House of Cards

It was 2005, and the couple had rung up approximately $92,000 in charges on their credit cards. At one point, they had 17 of them.

"It was easy to amass that many credit cards in those days," Bailey says. "We had spread the debt across all those credit cards, so we really had no idea how much we owed. Each balance, when taken separately, didn't look so bad."

It was bad, however. But -- here's where it gets dramatic -- by October 2010, the Baileys had paid off every cent of that $92,000 they owed.

 Jerry and Sue BaileyThe Wake-Up Call

Jerry Bailey was a widower when he met Sue, a registered nurse and single mother. Their combined family includes six kids. Their credit card debt accumulated over the years as they paid for home repairs, child-rearing expenses, and weddings.

The family was getting by -- Bailey says they managed to make all their minimum payments each month -- but just barely.

Then they got a financial wake-up call. And it wasn't from a collection agency, as is often the case for people who amass large amounts of debt.

When they needed to make a home repair, Bailey approached his credit union for a loan. "When the loan officer pulled up our credit report she turned white as a sheet," says Bailey. "She told me that not only could they not approve a loan, but she suggested we seek bankruptcy. Then I turned white as a sheet."

The Baileys refused to consider bankruptcy.

"Our second wake-up call was when we had to add up everything we owed," Bailey says.

To help them manage the $92,000 mountain of credit card debt they faced, the Baileys' credit union recommended that they contact GreenPath Debt Solutions, a nonprofit credit counseling service. The Baileys were worried, since they had heard that some credit counselors are untrustworthy, but financially experienced friends told them GreenPath, which is member of the certification agency National Foundation for Credit Counseling, was reputable.

Making the First Cut

Mary Haas, the Baileys' credit counselor at GreenPath, contacted their creditors. Some lenders lowered their interest rates on outstanding balances, which helped the Baileys reduce their balances faster.

Haas also created a debt management program, or DMP, for the Baileys, which required them to pay $665 per week to GreenPath, which in turn paid their creditors with those funds.

The family also went on a no-plastic diet. "We had to cut up our credit cards and pay cash for everything," says Bailey.

The new budget left the Baileys enough to continue to make their own house and car payments, cover utility bills, and pay for basic necessities. And that was it. There was no financial wiggle room. "We could not buy any clothes or go on any trips or get a new car," says Bailey. "We couldn't even buy gifts for our grandchildren. I won't say it was easy, but we knew if we could finish the program we'd be debt-free."

Both Baileys took on extra work to keep up with the weekly payments.

The path to being debt-free was not free of setbacks -- some of them major. After a few years in the program, for example, Sue required extensive foot surgery and couldn't work for five months. GreenPath was able to renegotiate terms with some of their creditors. But two creditors were unwilling to change their terms, so Bailey worked extra hours to pay off those debts as quickly as possible.

"I have to admit that there were times I was extremely exhausted and depressed during this whole ordeal," says Bailey. "We relied on each other, our faith and our friends, who encouraged us throughout that difficult time."

 Jerry BaileyThe Phone Call

In October 2010, more than five years after their debt management regimen began, the Baileys received a phone call from GreenPath with good news: They were debt-free.

"We were ecstatic," says Bailey. "We had been receiving monthly statements and knew we were reducing our debt, but we didn't know the exact date."

The Baileys consistently paid $665 each week during the program. Since then, they've used their extra cash to repair their home and to make extra payments on their mortgage, which they hope to pay off by May 2013.

Although the credit card debt is gone, there are lingering reminders of the toll it took on their finances: "Our credit rating was hurt by our debt problems," says Sue. But time -- and new, good habits -- will heal that wound.

Today, the Baileys have one credit card -- a far cry from the 17 that packed their wallets in 2005 -- and they pay the balance in full every single month. Cash is still king in their household. "We strongly believe that cash is the best way to pay for everything. We've learned that if we don't have the cash for something we can just wait and save for it," Sue said.

The Baileys have some advice for people with credit card debt. "First, sit down and do what we did: Add up everything you owe," says Bailey. As hard as it may be to face the total -- be it $9,000 or $90,000 -- it's important to know where you stand and to face the problem before it gets even worse.

Also recognize the emotional toll the debt can take: "Being in debt is like being in prison. You can't do what you want when you want to do anything," Bailey says. And then think about what it will be like when you are debt-free. For Bailey, "It's an incredible feeling to be as generous as you want to be to help others in need."

Michele Lerner is a contributing writer to The Motley Fool.


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Source: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/09/15/this-couple-paid-off-92-000-in-credit-card-debt-in-5-years/

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Learn The Value Of Canny House loan Research

There is certainly zero hesitation produce that propane is a wonderful long-term expense. We have actually peaked within our power to increase creation meaningfully, just as we now have with gentle essential oil. I do think in order for there to become an increase in long-term propane supply, you have to supply incentive to producers [...]

The post Learn The Value Of Canny House loan Research appeared first on legal debt help online.

Source: http://www.legaldebthelponline.com/2012/06/27/learn-the-value-of-canny-house-loan-research/

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Would You Entrust The Safety Of Your Online Information To A Wave Of The Hand?

catwavetablethiThe future is here, folks. Soon it'll be just like we imagined as kids ? holodecks, computers as thin as thin can be and there better be some hovercrafts arriving soon. But even as technology marches on, there are certain things we might feel a little bit squirrelly about doing away with. Like our online [...]

Source: http://consumerist.com/2012/09/would-you-entrust-the-safety-of-your-online-information-to-a-wave-of-the-hand.html

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Groupon Working on Global Consumer Deals

GrouponBy Nivedita Bhattacharjee and Alistair Barr

NEW YORK, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Groupon Inc (GRPN) is working on cross-border and multi-country deals as the world's largest online daily deals provider looks for newer ways to build market share and help retailers broaden their footprint, a top executive said.

"That really is where we have added advantage, being in 48 countries," said Rajen Ruparell, vice president of global sales, speaking Friday at the Reuters Retail and Consumer Summit in New York.

"We can do national deals with retailers not only in the United States or Europe, but in countries where they would like to build their footprint in, and some of them are starting to realize that opportunity now," he said.

Once hailed as the fastest growing Internet company ever, Groupon has shed about three-quarters of its market value since its November 2011 debut on the Nasdaq. A sharp slowdown in revenue growth has raised questions about the sustainability of its business of selling discount vouchers online, and about its growth in the domestic market.

The stock was up 7.1 percent at $5.10 on Friday.

Global deals help the company build a common platform and negotiate better deals, said Ruparell. It is also something merchants want.

Ruparell, who took over as sales chief last month, said Groupon is in discussions to expand its deal with Rosetta Stone Inc (RST), helping take the language-learning software maker beyond the 10 countries where it operates.

"One of the discussions we've been having actively with them is seeing how we can expand their global footprints outside of the U.S. into the mid-European countries," said Ruparell. He added there could be a Rosetta Stone deal in Russia within a week.

The company is also being more "aggressive in building inventory," while it irons out glitches in merchant tie-ups.

Users of Groupon often complain about second-tier treatment, especially for services in restaurants and similar industries where Groupon buyers often select from limited menus or choices.

Ruparell said the company hoped to do away such problems, and "a way to do that was to have a lot more inventory and more merchants."


Current Market News

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Another Sign that PCs are Losing Ground
Apple Wins German Court Ruling over Google
Liberty Now Even Closer to Sirius XM Takeover (LMCA, SIRI)
U.S. Sticks its Nose in Chinese-Canadian Energy Deal


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Source: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/09/14/groupon-working-on-global-consumer-deals/

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Apple Is Repeating Itself: Last Year It Said It Was 'Blown Away' By iPhone 4S Pre-Orders, Too (AAPL)

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When Apple told news outlets it was "blown away" by iPhone 5 pre-orders, something about it didn't sit right with us. There was something familiar about it, but it rang more hollow than usual from Apple.

We think we've figured out why. The language Apple used to describe pre-orders of the iPhone 5 is almost the exact same language it used to describe pre-orders of the iPhone 4S.

Here's today's statement: "Pre-orders for iPhone 5 have been incredible ... We’ve been completely blown away by the customer response."

Here's the statement for the iPhone 4S: "We are blown away with the incredible customer response to iPhone 4S."

There's a key difference between this year's statement and last year's and it might explain why something felt off.

Last year Apple's statement was part of bigger press release. This year's statement wasn't a press release, just two sentences given to certain news outlets.

And last year's press release had numbers attached to it. Apple announced pre-orders of 1 million iPhone 4Ss, "the most for any new product that Apple has ever launched," as SVP of marketing Phil Schiller put it in the release.

The year before that, in 2010, Apple announced 600,000 iPhone 4s pre-ordered on day one.

This year, Apple didn't announce how many iPhone 5s people pre-ordered.

Apple is under no obligation to report iPhone 5 pre-order numbers. And the day isn't over yet. For all we know it had 2 million pre-orders and Apple is preparing a full release as we write this.

But for now, Apple appears to be breaking from what it's done in the past and it just feels slightly funny.

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/businessinsider/~3/JwHHAxJFmQQ/apple-blown-away-by-iphone-pre-orders-again-2012-9

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