America’s Generation Debt

America's Generation Debt - In the United States, university students graduate with an average of 25,000 dollars of debt.

Today, half of those graduates are either unemployed or underemployed. Many are unable to pay back their loans. National student debt stands at one trillion dollars, that's more than credit card debt.

For this generation, there is a feeling of déjà vu, of injustice. They feel that during the subprime crisis the banks got bailed out, but students who borrowed money to get a college education have been sold out.

With the presidential election just days away, euronews takes a look at what the US media has labelled "generation debt". ( euronews.com )

Loans

Informal Learning - Informal Learning - Learning can take place anywhere, any time. It is not necessary to be in a classroom. We explore some non-traditional learning experiences at the beach in Argentina, a museum in Spain and up a mountain in Croatia. Argentina: Science on holiday In Cordoba, a handful of professors from Cordoba University patrol the beach. As part of their Promotion Programme, they are looking for people to talk to about science! Programme founder Javier Martin explained: "Among all the different subjects that are on offer at the university,...

The bilingualism challenge - The bilingualism challenge - Language can be a double edged-sword in multi-lingual societies. It is a keystone of cultural identity but can be a barrier to integration and educational success. Two countries dealing with these challenges are South Africa and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Post apartheid South Africa has 11 official languages, but English is increasingly dominant. At some schools this is problematic for children who speak other languages at home. So how do they cope? The small town of Elliot is home to a nine-year-old...

PayPal fattens digital wallet - PayPal fattens digital wallet - PayPal on Tuesday pulled out a revamped digital wallet service amid rumors it is poised to introduce a plug-in gizmo that will let small businesses accept credit card payments using smartphones.PayPal on Tuesday pulled out a revamped digital wallet service amid rumors it is poised to introduce a plug-in gizmo that will let small businesses accept credit card payments using smartphones. (AFP Photo/Spencer Platt) PayPal digital "wallet" improvements to begin rolling out in May include the ability to make purchases...

Seven Reasons Why You'll Always Need Cash - Seven Reasons Why You'll Always Need Cash - Much has been said about the rise of online and mobile banking, and while buying your morning coffee with your mobile phone or managing your bank account over the Internet may be more convenient than the old way of doing things, visions of a cashless society are probably missing the point.Even if smartphone apps and chip-enabled credit cards seem like they can take care of anything we want to do with our money, there are plenty of reasons why people will always need cash—and it's not just to buy...

Banks And Real Estate In 2012 - Banks And Real Estate In 2012 - No two areas of the investment market have performed worse than the banks and real estate. If you're an investor, you've felt the financial pain that comes with such a dramatic underperformance over the past three years, but this isn't just a Wall Street story.Exploring Real Estate Investments This story affects nearly every consumer in some way. If you own a home, the value has likely plummeted and if you have tried to get a loan lately, you know that just to qualify your credit has to be almost spotless.If you...

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PayPal plans first job cuts since 2008 financial crisis

PayPal plans first job cuts since 2008 financial crisis - PayPal is planning to cut as much as 3 percent of its workforce as the payments division of eBay Inc looks to streamline its operations under new President David Marcus, a person familiar with the situation said on Friday.

The reductions are expected to total between 300 and 400 and be focused in product development, technology and marketing, the person said on condition of anonymity because the plans are not public. PayPal has almost 13,000 employees.

The job cuts will be PayPal's first major reductions since the financial crisis in 2008.

Marcus became president of PayPal earlier this year after eBay acquired Zong, the mobile payments start-up he ran.

Since taking over, Marcus has been trying to shift PayPal's focus more to the consumer. He has also been working to speed up the product development process, which has become bogged down in lengthy procedures in recent years.

"We have told PayPal employees about plans under way to strengthen and simplify how we create and deliver consistently great products and brand experiences to our customers," a PayPal spokesman said in a statement emailed to Reuters.

He declined to comment on how such plans may affect jobs at the company.

In the last few years, PayPal has spent a lot of money to develop new products and buy up companies, hurting margins, Gil Luria, a managing director with Wedbush Securities told Reuters.

"Now that products such as the mobile wallet are ready to be introduced, looks like they are ready to tighten up and let margins go up from here," Luria said.

PayPal's plans for job cuts were reported earlier on Friday by Bloomberg News. ( Reuters )

PayPal

PayPal strikes again, and this time an antique violin pays the ultimate price - PayPal strikes again, and this time an antique violin pays the ultimate price - It hasn't been a particularly good few weeks for the customer service industry. Last week it was the saga of Paul Christoforo, the man who would be friends with the mayor...

PayPal freezes Regretsy's donations for needy children - PayPal freezes Regretsy's donations for needy children - For as big as the holiday shopping season is, it is generally complimented by a massive groundswell of charitable donations. It is the true spirit of the holidays, and one that defines our generosity...

A PayPal roadblock temporarily halts one online charity, but here are three more great causes - A PayPal roadblock temporarily halts one online charity, but here are three more great causes - Over the past few days, Regretsy — a blog that highlights humorous and crazy craft items — has been chronicling its dealings with the largest online payment...

PayPal Sues After Google Unveils Smartphone Pay Service  - PayPal Sues After Google Unveils Smartphone Pay Service - Google Inc. hopes to nudge consumers and merchants into a world where the smartphone has replaced the wallet as the container for credit cards, coupons and receipts.While it tackles that challenge,...

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Al-Qaida leader al-Zawahri urges Muslims to fight US over Prophet film

Al-Qaida leader al-Zawahri urges Muslims to fight US over Prophet film - The leader of Al-Qaida has urged Muslims to wage holy war against the United States and Israel over a film that insulted Islam's Prophet Muhammad.

Ayman al-Zawahri praised as "honest and zealous" demonstrators who breached the U.S Embassy in Cairo and attackers who stormed the U.S. "embassy" in Benghazi in violence linked to the film. The American ambassador and three others died in the Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. Consulate in the Libyan city.

The amateur film "Innocence of Muslims" was made by an Egyptian-born American citizen.

In an audio message released by al-Qaida's media arm As-Sahab and posted on militant websites early Saturday, al-Zawahri claimed Washington allowed the film's production under the pretext of freedom of expression, "but this freedom did not prevent them from torturing Muslim prisoners." ( Associated Press )

Terorist

US government threatens to arrest US flotilla participants – US government threatens to arrest US flotilla participants - As 38 US citizens prepare to join hundreds of others from around the world on a humanitarian aid mission to the Gaza Strip, the US State Department issued a statement that their participation...

Libya says NATO airstrike kills 15 west of capital  - Libya says NATO airstrike kills 15 west of capital — Libya's government said a NATO airstrike early Monday on a large family compound belonging to a close associate of Moammar Gadhafi has killed at least 15 people, including three children, west of Tripoli. A...

America plans full-scale invasion of Libya  - America plans full-scale invasion of Libya - The news website infowars.com owned by a popular American TV presenter Alex Jones, has received alarming reports from the military stationed at Ft. Hood, Texas, confirming the plans by Obama's terrorist government...

Nato bomb 'kills nine Libyan civilians' as stray air strike is blamed on 'system failure' - Nato bomb 'kills nine Libyan civilians' as stray air strike is blamed on 'system failure' - A Nato air strike hit a civilian house in Tripoli and killed nine residents, the Libyan regime said yesterday. Nato admitted on Sunday that its weapons destroyed...

Bin Laden deputy Zawahri to lead al Qaeda - Bin Laden deputy Zawahri to lead al Qaeda - Al Qaeda's long-serving number two, Egyptian Ayman al-Zawahri, has taken over the leadership after the killing of Osama bin Laden, the group said on Islamist websites on Thursday. Bin Laden's lieutenant and...

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Maram Zaki al-Saif, Juara Kontes Kecantikan Arab Saudi

Maram Zaki al-Saif, Juara Kontes Kecantikan Arab Saudi -- Sebuah kontes kecantikan belum lama digelar di Arab Saudi.

Berbeda dengan kontes kecantikan kebanyakan, penilaian dalam kontes ini tidak hanya didasarkan pada penampilan dan kecantikan fisik, namun lebih memberatkan pada etika seorang wanita.

Kontes bertajuk "Miss Congeniality" ini memasuki tahun ketiga dan mengusung tema "My Ethics, My Identity".

Kontes yang digelar pada Senin di King Abdullah Ballroom di provinsi timur Qatif berhasil dimenangkan oleh Maram Zaki al-Saif. Kesalehan al-Saif menggugah para juri yang kemudian menobatkannya sebagai "Queen of Ethics", seperti dikutip dari al-arabiya, Kamis (11/10).

Saif yang berasal dari Tarout, berasil menyisihkan 285 kontestan, semua berusia antara 16-24 tahun. Saif berhak mendapat hadiah sebesar sepuluh ribu Riyals atau sekitar 2666 dolar AS.

Tempat kedua ditempati Fatema Abdel Jaleel Al Abad (17 tahun) dan Fateema Saeed Al Baik sebagai Runner Up kedua.

Selain etika dan perilaku kontestan, Khadra'a Al Mubarak selaku Direktur Eksekutif kompetisi mengatakan, kriteria pemilihan juga terfokus pada karisma peserta dan pertunjukan teater, di samping kepercayaan diri dan pengetahuan umum. ( republika )

Refleksi Nurani

Amar Ma'ruf Nahi Munkar Bukanlah Sebatas Perkataan dan Pernyataan Saja - "Dan orang-orang yang beriman, lelaki dan perempuan, sebagian mereka menjadi penolong bagi sebagian yang lain. Mereka menyuruh (mengerjakan) yang ma 'ruf, mencegah dari yang munkar. mendirikan shalat, menunaikan zakat, dam mereka taat kepada Allah dan Rasul-Nya. Mereka itu akan diberi rahmat oleh Allah; Sesungguhnya Allah Maha Perkasa lagi Maha Bijaksana." (QS at-Taubah: 71) Ayat tersebut memberikan isyarat jelas bahwa salah satu tugas utama kaum Muslimin — apapun posisi, jabatan, kedudukan, dan keahlian mereka— adalah melakukan kegiatan amar...

Memperkenalkan Empat Agenda Islam Liberal - Islam adalah dien al-haq yang diwahyukan oleh Allah ta'ala kepada Rasul-Nya yang terakhir Muhammad shallallahu 'alaihi wasallam: 'Dialah yang mengutus Rasul-Nya dengan membawa petunjuk dan agama yang hak agar dimenangkan-Nya terhadap semua agama. Dan cukuplah Allah sebagai saksi.' (QS. 48: 28) Sebagai rahmat bagi semesta alam 'Dan tiadalah Kami mengutus kamu, melainkan untuk (menjadi) rahmat bagi semesta alam.' (QS 21:107) Dan sebagai satu-satunya agama yang diridhai oleh Allah ta'ala: 'Sesungguhnya agama (yang diridhai) di sisi Allah...

Korupsi di Indonesia Memang Sudah Sangat Mengerikan - Jika korupsi harta dijadikan masalah besa sekarang inir, maka seyogyanya, korupsi aqidah, korupsi iman, korupsi konsep al-Quran, korupsi konsep etika dan hukum Islam, seharusnya juga menjadi agenda serius. Upaya sebagian kalangan untuk melepaskan etika dari agama dan membangun "ethic without religion" adalah upaya yang salah dan rapuh. Etika tanpa agama akan berakhir dengan kekacauan. Ketika itulah akan muncul anggapan umum, bahwa korupsi bahaya buat masyarakat, tetapi zina – dan semua yang mendorong ke arah perzinaan, seperti pornografi –...

Hanya Peradaban Islam Yang Masih Tersisa - Eropa dan Amerika Sekarang Telah Berada Di Bawah Telapak Kaki Yahudi. Sekarang yang tertinggal hanya peradaban Islam. Selanjutnya bagaimana strategi yang tepat menghadapi sepak terjang Zionisme Yahudi yang telah menyerang dan menghancurkan peradaban manusia itu? Ini menjadi pertanyaan sepanjang sejarah. Penganut Kristiani telah berupaya berabad-abad untuk lepas dari jeratan mereka, tapi gagal total. Sehingga masyarakat mereka di Eropa dan Amerika sekarang ini telah berada di bawah telapak kaki peradaban Yahudi.  Benteng terakhir peradaban...

Benarkah Al-Quran Bukanlah Wahyu Allah SWT .. ? - Bagi kaum Muslim, tentu, upaya untuk meruntuhkan orisinalitas al-Quran sebagai wahyu Allah, bukan barang baru. Sepeninggal Rasulullah saw, Musailamah al-Kazhab sudah melakukan upaya itu. Di setiap zaman, upaya itu selalu dijawab secara elegan dan saintifik oleh ulama dan cendekiawan Muslim. Bagi sebagian kalangan, terutama kalangan orientalis Barat, karya Luxenberg (nama samaran) ini dipandang sebagai ancaman terhadap kajian al-Quran. Dalam analisisnya terhadap buku Luxenburg di Jurnal HUGOYE, Journal of Syriac Studies, Robert R. Phenix Jr....

Tafsir Adalah Satu - Satunya Ilmu Yang Berhubungan Langsung Dengan Nabi - Al-Attas mungkin adalah sarjana Muslim kontemporer pertama yang telah memahami keunikan sifat ilmu Tafsir dan membedakannya dari konsep dan praktek Barat tentang hermeneutik, baik yang bersumber dari Kitab Bible atau teks-teks lainnya. Dalam hal ini al-Attas berbeda secara substantif dari Fazlur Rahman dan modernis atau post-modernis Muslim lainnya seperti Arkoun, Hasan Hanafi dan A.Karim Soroush. Pada Konferensi Dunia Kedua Pendidikan Islam (Second World Conference on Muslim Education) di Islamabad, al-Attas menggaris bawahi bahwa ilmu pertama...

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Google's 3 Essentials for Mobile-Friendly Websites

Google's 3 Essentials for Mobile-Friendly Websites - If you've been on the fence about creating a mobile-friendly version of your website, Google has some insight that might help you make the decision.

Sixty-seven percent of the 1,088 smartphone users surveyed by the tech giant in July said they were more likely to make a purchase when visiting a business's mobile-friendly site, versus 61 percent who said they'd most likely leave a site that wasn't optimized for mobile. Translation: if you don't have a mobile-friendly website then you're probably losing customers to the competition.

The survey, "What Users Want Most From Mobile Sites Today," was conducted for Google by independent market research firms Sterling Research and SmithGeiger.

A site that's optimized for mobile can be viewed easily on smaller screens and also displays important company information without complicated navigation. According to Google, mobile-friendly sites can pay off in two ways: users are more likely to be active when visiting the site and they are more likely to return to the site in the future.

Conversely, fifty-two percent of people surveyed said a bad mobile experience makes them less likely to engage with a company. And, 48 percent said that if a site didn't work well on their smartphones, it made them think the company didn't care about their business.

So what exactly are customers looking for from a mobile-friendly website? Here are three points Google highlights its survey:

1. Fast loading. That means 5 seconds or less.
2. Mobile-friendly features. These can include large buttons, easy search and limited scrolling and pinching.
3. Quick access to business information. Display info like directions, contact numbers, product information and how to make a purchase right up front so it's easy to read on a smartphone or tablet.

How important do you think a mobile-friendly website is to doing business? Let us know in the comments below. ( entrepreneur )

Google

Searchers Now Have More Ways to Find Your Content - How Do Google's New Search Options Affect SEO?. Searchers Now Have More Ways to Find Your Content. Google's search options were designed to allow users to refine their searches. That means users will use these to weed out irrelevant results and better find what they're looking for. It also means that there is a whole new set of guidelines that search engine marketers will need to think about...or does it? Perhaps it's just the same guidelines, only emphasized to the user more now, thereby making...

Integration - The Key to Google as a Social Network - Integration - The Key to Google as a Social Network. Google has or is working on pretty much all of the main ingredients for a really great social network. The problem (in my opinion) is that they are scattered and not integrated as well as they could be. Do you particiapte in any of Google's social projects? Tell us which ones.GmailA while back when Gmail turned five years old, Google said that the coming five years would see more radical changes for Gmail than ever. Given the social nature of...

Local Search Important for your Business - Local Search Important for your Business. As the web gets bigger and bigger it is becoming more of a battle to ensure your website gets listed higher up in the search engines. Local businesses can sometimes get lost or struggle to get listed at all for relevant keywords or phrases.As you will already know it is important for your website to appear as high up in the search engine results as possible. This is a technique known as Search Engine Optimisation or SEO for short and this process can take...

Search Engines Unite On Sitemaps Autodiscovery - Search Engines Unite On Sitemaps Autodiscovery. Last November, Google, Microsoft Yahoo united to support sitemaps, a standardized method of submitting web pages through feeds to the search engines. Today, the three are now joined by Ask.com in supporting the system and an extension of it called autodiscovery. This is where the major search engines will automatically locate your sitemaps file if the location is listed in a robots.txt file. Announcements are up from Google and Ask now Yahoo and...

Google Indexing Sites in 1 Day  - Google Indexing Sites in 1 Day. I created a new site on Friday, and by Saturday exactly 24 hours later it was in Google's Index. I posted about this just over a month ago in my post, 7 Steps to Get Your New Site Indexed in 24 Hours. I had a lot of comments about whether or not Adwords was necessary, so I thought I'd try it again without running Adwords this time. Here's how it all played out:1) I created 5 pages of content (Home, FAQ, About Us, etc.).2) I put them in a simple template with site-wide...

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